Politics & Government

Democrats Take Back Full Control of Freeholder Board

Gloucester County's Republican party lost its hold on two seats on the county board.

Gloucester County Republicans saw their toehold on the county freeholder board evaporate Tuesday night, as former Democratic freeholder Frank DiMarco and running mate Dan Christy easily defeated their opponents, according to Tuesday night’s unofficial results.

Despite a win at the top of the ticket, Republicans Margie Love and Ed Selb, who were running for the seats previously held by Larry Wallace and Vince Nestore, couldn’t find an edge locally—DiMarco and Christy scored 40,623 and 39,371 votes, respectively, to win by about 4,500 votes.

The win returns the county board to complete Democratic control for the first time since state Sen. President Stephen Sweeney was freeholder director.

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The Republicans who held the seats for the last three years both opted for other moves—Wallace chose instead to try for an Assembly seat, where he lost, falling to incumbent Celeste Riley, a Cumberland County resident and teacher.

Nestore dropped out of the race in July after winning in the primary, telling the South Jersey Times a controversial vote on closing the county jail weighed heavily on him.

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“I was a politician instead of a public servant,” he said.


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