Toms River Primary 2025: Where, How To Vote On Election Day

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Polls open Tuesday morning for the 2025 Republican and Democratic primary elections, and Toms River has contested primaries at the local level in addition to the Ocean County and state gubernatorial races.

Here's a reminder about where you can vote Tuesday, along with who's on the ballot.

New Jersey has closed primaries, meaning those registered to a particular party can only vote in their party's primary.

Voters who are unaffiliated — meaning they have not committed to any party — are able to vote in either primary. To do so, go to your polling place and request a ballot to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary.

By doing so, you will then be a registered voter in that party.

Here are reminders about Tuesday's voting.

Key dates

• Primary Day: Tuesday, June 10
• Polling times: Voting opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 8 p.m.
• Where can I vote in person? Find your polling location online; it also will be on your sample ballot.
• If you have a vote-by-mail ballot: Voters who received a vote-by-mail ballot have until 8 p.m. to drop it off at any of Ocean County's dropboxes. They are located at 15 of the county's library branches, along with the Ocean County Courthouse and the county Board of Elections office. See the sites here. Ballots must be deposited in the dropbox by 8 p.m. June 10.
• Mailing it? If you choose to mail your vote-by-mail ballot, it must be postmarked by 8 p.m. June 10 and received by the Board of Elections by June 16. Track your mail-in ballot here.

Who's On The Ballot

Toms River Township Council

The Toms River Township Council has all four ward seats up for election, with four-year terms. The Republican primaries for all four wards are contested, along with one Democratic ward primary.

The council primaries pit supporters of Mayor Daniel Rodrick — council president Justin Lamb, Councilman William Byrne, Harry Aber and Anthony Matarazzo running on the "Official Republican Team" slate — against the "America First Republicans For Toms River" slate of Councilmen Jim Quinlisk, David Ciccozzi, Clinton Bradley and Robert Bianchini. That slate opposes many of Rodrick's controversial policies, including a proposal to take the property of Christ Episcopal Church by eminent domain, the shutdown of the Silverton EMS and the Toms River Animal Shelter, the elimination of captains' positions in the Toms River Police Department and other issues.

Also running in the Ward 4 primary is Anthony Ricotta, who is backed by Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore.

In addition to the contested GOP primaries in all four wards, there is a contested Democratic primary in Ward 4.

Read more about the issues below.

Ward 1

Justin Lamb, the current council president and Rodrick ally, is being challenged by Robert Bianchini.

Lamb, a lieutenant in the Lavallette Police Department, has been a vocal supporter of Rodrick's policies across the board and has angered residents by curtailing public comment during council meetings.

Bianchini retired in 2024 after working as a civil engineer and was the director of public works for Asbury Park. He has been accused by Rodrick of being a Democrat but ran as a Republican candidate for mayor in 2023, losing in the primary. He did run for council as a Democrat in 2011.

The Democrat running in Ward 1 is Anthony Colucci from the Ortley Beach Voters and Taxpayers Association. He is not being challenged in the primary.

Ward 2

William Byrne is being challenged by Clinton Bradley.

Byrne, a retiree and member of the board of directors of Holiday City Phase II in Silverton, is seeking a full term on the council. Byrne, who was a registered Democrat until just days before his candidate's petition was filed in March 2024, won election in November to the final year of the term vacated when Rodrick won the mayor's seat. Byrne replaced George Lobman, who had been appointed to the seat for 2024 but chose not to seek election to the remainder of the term. Byrne does not have an individual campaign page.

Bradley works for Coalfire in cybersecurity as a civilian but also serves in the U.S. Army, where he is a major and served overseas as recently as 2024.

The Democratic candidate in Ward 2 is Susan Gato, who is running unopposed for the nomination.

Ward 3

Councilman Jim Quinlisk is being challenged by Harry Aber.

Quinlisk, who owns Abby Lifts, was elected to the seat in 2021. He has questioned a number of Rodrick's controversial policies and has been at odds with and challenged Lamb at council meetings routinely.

Aber is a newcomer and a technician for Veolia, the water company. He does not have an individual campaign page.

Ward 4

The Republican primary has three candidates: councilman David Ciccozzi, Anthony Ricotta and Anthony Matarazzo. Ciccozzi owns a property management company. Matarazzo owns a painting business. Ricotta is an artificial intelligence Ciccozzi was elected to the Ward 4 seat in 2021.

The Democratic primary has Paul C. Williams and Justin Moran seeking the nomination. Moran, the county Democratic Club choice, says he wants to build a strong community and support small businesses. Williams, who has run as an independent previously, is a persistent critic of both the Republicans controlling the township and the Toms River Democratic establishment, which he feels has not done enough to combat issues.

The primary battle between the slate of Lamb, Byrne, Aber and Matarazzo and the slate of Quinlisk, Ciccozzi, Bianchini and Bradley, has led to heated screaming matches during council meetings, including the most recent meeting on May 29, where Rodrick accused Quinlisk, Ciccozzi and others of being "liberal Democrats" because they oppose his most controversial actions.

Among those actions has been Rodrick's proposal to buy the property belonging to Christ Episcopal Church, either by agreement or by eminent domain. Church leaders said they believe Rodrick has taken the action because of a proposal to place a 17-bed shelter for the homeless in a building on the church's property. The proposal is opposed by many residents in the immediate area.

The proposal to take over the church has prompted an outcry from faith communities throughout Toms River and the Episcopal Church of New Jersey says the church is not for sale and is ready to fight to protect the property.

Quinlisk and Ciccozzi have pushed back in council meetings, criticizing Rodrick's spending on some items while cutting back on items they viewed as important, such as the police department. Rodrick has argued he has cut unnecessary spending, with an $11 million decrease in the township budget for 2025.

Recent claims by Rodrick of more police on the roads led to pushback from the Toms River PBA. An examination of records shows the department has the fewest sworn officers it has had since 2004.

Anthony Ricotta, a senior account executive with AlphaSense, an artificial intelligence company, is supported by Ocean County Republican Club chairman George Gilmore. He is campaigning on transparency and stopping overdevelopment.

In addition to screaming matches at council meetings, the primary campaign has been filled with campaign mailers attacking candidates on both sides, accusations of campaign signs being removed and kicked down, and claims about charges that were dismissed and never prosecuted.

Byrne, who is in his first year on the council, has been credited in campaign flyers as helping to stop the Meridia apartment building project that had been planned on Water Street. That project was halted in August 2024, before Byrne was elected. Meridia has a lawsuit pending against Toms River over the revocation of the project approval. Byrne was seated on the council in December 2024, in time to vote to cancel the downtown redevelopment plan that was connected with the Meridia project.

The biggest challenge in the primary election is voter participation, as voters are frequently apathetic in years where there is no presidential election. In 2023, Rodrick received 4,710 votes in the Republican primary, out of 27,241 registered Republican voters that year, 17.2 percent of the possible votes. There were 10,350 votes cast in the Republican primary that year. In the 2023 general election, Rodrick received 13,820 votes out of 20,033 ballots cast in a town that had 70,654 registered voters, or 19.6 percent of the voters in Toms River.

Ocean County Commissioner

There are two three-year terms up for election on the Board of Commissioners in November. The primaries are uncontested. The Republican candidates are Ray Gormley, a longtime Little Egg Harbor committeeman, and Sam Ellenbogen of Toms River, founder and CEO of Triumph Building Group. The Democratic candidates are Arthur Halloran, a former Brick Township councilman, and Brandon Rose of Jackson, who has spent more than 25 years at the New Jersey Parole Board.

Ocean County Clerk

The clerk's seat, a five-year term, is up for election. Acting county clerk John Catalano is not seeking the seat. There are two Republican candidates: Rory Wells of Manchester, who was an assistant prosecutor in the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office for 14 years and now works as an attorney and public speaker; and John P. "Jack" Kelly of Eagleswood, who has served on the Ocean County Board of Commissioners since 1993. The sole Democrat seeking the clerk's seat is Samuel Pinkava of Waretown.

Ocean County Sheriff

The sheriff's position is a three-year term. The primaries are uncontested, with incumbent Michael Mastronardy running for the Republican nomination and Jeff Horn, a local attorney, running for the Democratic nomination.

10th District Assembly

Both Assembly seats, two-year terms, are up for election in November. The Republican primary is uncontested, with incumbents Gregory McGuckin and Paul Kanitra seeking re-election. The Democratic primary is contested. Janine G. Bauer, who is an attorney and lives in Spring Lake Heights, is running on the Ocean County Democrats 2025 ticket. Also running are Debra DiDonato and Phil Nufrio on the ticket Democrats For Change. Nufrio, who lives in Seaside Park, was a professor at Metropolitan College of New York and is retired. DiDonato lives in South Toms River and is a registered nurse. She also has run for mayor in South Toms River and serves on local boards.

New Jersey Governor

The gubernatorial primaries are both contested. There are five Republicans seeking the nomination: Justin Barbera, Bill Spadea, Jon Bramnick, Mario Kranjac, and Jack Ciattarelli. Ciattarelli, who ran against Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021 and narrowly lost, received the endorsement of President Donald Trump in mid-May. Barbera, from Burlington County, is a contractor and a MAGA conservative, according to his Facebook account. Spadea was the former morning drive host on NJ 101.5 FM. Bramnick is the state senator representing the 21st District. Kranjac, the former mayor of Englewood Cliffs, bills himself as a political outsider and self-made attorney and business owner, and embraces the "Forever Trumpy" label.

Related: 5 Takeaways From First GOP Debate For NJ Governor

The Democratic primary features six candidates seeking the nomination: Steve Sweeney, Ras J. Baraka, Josh Gottheimer, Mikie Sherrill, Sean Spiller, and Steven Fulop. Sweeney is the former state Senate president. Baraka is the mayor of Newark. Gottheimer serves New Jersey's 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sherrill is the House member from New Jersey's 11th District. Spiller is the former president of the New Jersey Education Association. Fulop is the mayor of Jersey City.

Related: Meet The 6 Democratic Candidates For New Jersey Governor (VIDEOS)