Voters elected two members to the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders and a county surrogate on Election Day, Nov. 6.
Gerry Little of Surf City, who is currently serving as the director of the freeholder board, won re-election to his sixth three-year term. Gary Quinn of Lacey Township won his first seat on the board.
Quinn was selected to run for office by the Ocean County Republican Committee to replace Freeholder Deputy Director John Bartlett Jr. on the ballot. Bartlett ended his re-election campaign due to health issues.
In the race for the freeholder seats, Little and Quinn received 134,780 and 131,886 votes, respectively, according to results posted online by the Ocean County Clerk. The results are unofficial until they are certified by the county.
Democrats Teddy Price of Toms River and Vince Minichino of Brick Township recorded 78,864 and 73,521 votes, respectively, in their bids to win seats on the freeholder board.
According to the Ocean County website, a freeholder regulates county property, finances and affairs. The board prepares and adopts the county budget; authorizes expenditures and bonds, acts on claims against the county, appoints county officials and members of boards, commissions, councils and authorities; and supervises the administration of all county departments.
Republican Jeffrey Moran of Pine Beach won re-election to his fourth five-year term as surrogate. Moran registered 137,568 votes and Democrat Kevin Pillion Jr. of Island Heights collected 75,281 votes. The vote totals are unofficial until they are certified by the county.
A surrogate is a constitutional officer who is elected to the position every five years. The surrogate serves as clerk of the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part, as well as judge of the Surrogate’s Court, according to the Ocean County government website.
In Toms River, including mail-in votes, Little received 20,618 votes, Quinn recorded 20,182 votes, Price received 12,137 votes and Minichino registered 13,179 votes. In Toms River, including mail-in votes, Moran collected 20,981 votes and Pillion received 12,450 votes.