Howard Concedes Election Following Provisional Vote Count

County officials have counted the provisional ballots cast in l, candidates said today, and with third-highest vote-getter and Democratic newcomer Michael Howard still 11 votes behind Rebuplican incumbent Martin Lisella, Howard says he no longer plans to challenge the election results.

That leaves Lisella and fellow incumbent, Democrat Leonard Morano, in place as the winners.

No one from the Election Board of Ocean County was available to offer an official word on the count, but Howard and Lisella said they were present as the names on the 17 provisional ballots – more than previously expected – were read aloud. 

Ultimately, said Howard, Lisella retained his 11-vote lead, and Howard was content to concede the election to his rival.

“I said before, as long as it’s taken to the end in an orderly fashion, I have no problem with how it ends up,” he said. “This was just a raggedy edge that still had to be finished.” The race was close, Howard said, but he felt no need to call for a recount. “I trust the machines,” he said.

Both Howard and Lisella congratulated each other on running a civil, issues-driven campaign, and said they remain friends who are both committed to helping Barnegat in their own ways.

Some last-minute campaigning in Settlers Landing by Howard and Morano did raise some concerns with Republicans, Lisella said. The candidates handed out fliers proposing a police substation in the neighborhood, and calling for money to be spent on parks used by the residents there.

Lisella said the push to gain votes in Settlers didn’t fit with the Democrats’ emphasis on cutting wherever possible, and adding zero new jobs to township payrolls.

“How you can do both?” he asked.

Howard said he and Morano stood by the messages of their campaign, and said their feeling was that unnecessary spending could more than pay for some much-needed additions within the community. 

“A certain amount of dollars only goes so far,” he said, “and we think we should spend it where it will do the most good.”

Differences over last-minute campaigning aside, the two men said they were comfortable that each was working for the same goal: bettering Barnegat. They said they even drove up to the county clerk’s office together to witness the vote count, accompanied by Morano and Committeeman Al Bille.

“There was nobody bad running for office,” said Lisella. “It’s just a question of people having different views.”

Lisella acknowledged that the race was a tight one. The election mobilized a lot of people angry about tax increases. “You can’t blame them,” said Lisella. “I understand their feelings.”

But he said he hopes voters recognize that the committee is working hard with the tools at hand to stabilize taxes. “I just hope they understand that if we didn’t do some of the things we did, the taxes would be higher,” he said.