Official Election Results Confirm Batastini Victory

• Jon Batastini: 120 ("Batastini" had another 26 votes)
• Dale Braun: 53 ("Braun" had another 6 votes)
• Ken Cooper: 34
• Holly Buck: 16
• Michaela Walsh: 13
• Michael Foster: 12
• David Powell: 11
• Daniel J. McGinley: 3 ("McGinley" had another 2 votes)

Batastini also won a one-year term on the Board of Education as an official candidate for an unexpired term. He said Friday that he will opt for the full three-year term.

The Ocean City Board of Education will appoint somebody to fill the one-year term.

Among the 80 different people who received write-in votes were most sitting Board of Education members, regular Board of Education meeting attendee Vic Staniec and Charlie Brown. Ocean City Gazette reporter Ann Richardson got two votes for the one-year term. (See official write-in vote tally.)

Ocean City's array of write-in votes were not quite as colorful as those from some of the other races in Cape May County. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck received votes for governor, and rival Elmer Fudd had a vote for Assemblyman.

Charlie Sheen and Sentinel reporter Eric Avedissian received votes for freeholder. But New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and Luke Skywalker also were written in, along with Super Mario and Batman.

Howdy Doody and Bozo each received votes for Council in Stone Harbor. (See official write-in vote tallies for general election offices.)

The final tally (now moot) for the one-year Ocean City Board of Education seat were as folllows:

• Jon D. Batastini: 729 votes
• Michaela Walsh: 665 votes
• Holly A. Buck: 512 votes
• Dale F. Braun Jr.: 314 votes
• Michael D. Foster: 284 votes
• Daniel J. McGinley: 248 votes
• David E. Powell: 216 votes

In the uncontested races for full three-year terms, vote totals were as follows:

• Peter V. Madden: 2,398 votes
• Raymond M. Clark: 2,182 votes