MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — It was a historic election night in Monmouth County as Democrats appear to have won two seats on the Board of County Commissioners and the role of Monmouth County Surrogate, according to unofficial election results.
With all districts reporting, Democrat Anthony L. Cherry has received 116,630 votes (51.10%), while Republican Incumbent Maureen T. Raisch has received 111,388 votes (48.80%) for the role of Monmouth County Surrogate.
On the Board of County Commissioners, Democrats Chelsey Tanner and Sogia J. Ugarte received 116,792 votes (25.60%) and 115,119 votes (25.23%), respectively.
Republican Incumbent Erik Anderson received 112,105 votes (24.50%), and Republican Tony Perry received 111,768 votes (24.50%).
Overall, 228,252 votes were cast in the Monmouth County Surrogate race, and 456,271 were cast in the Board of County Commissioners Race, according to unofficial results.
All election results will remain unofficial until certified by the Monmouth County Clerk's Office.
The last time a Democrat was elected to the Board of County Commissioners was in 2008, according to a report from the Asbury Park Press.
Tanner, a Neptune native and Treasurer of the Mercer County Reentry Coalition, and Ugarte, a working mother and community advocate, will unseat an incumbent on the board and defeat Republican Tony Perry, who currently serves as Mayor of Middletown.
Cherry, a criminal defense attorney and the founder of Cherry Law Firm, will unseat Republican incumbent Raisch as Monmouth County Surrogate.
The race for County Surrogate and the Board of County Commissioners are just a few of many elections seeing a blue wave across the state and the country.
In a statement from Dyese Davis, the Chairwoman of the Monmouth County Democrats, Davis called the election "a historic blue wave."
"In my second term as Chair, I am beyond proud to see the needle move once again in Monmouth County," Davis said. "This is a historic blue wave."
"We flipped the script at the county level, won local council seats, held onto mayoral offices, protected our two Democratic congressional districts represented by Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (CD-6) and Congressman Herb Conaway (CD-3), and sent Senator Cory Booker back to Washington."
"Surrogate-elect Anthony L. Cherry and Commissioners-elect Chelsey Tanner and Sofia J. Ugarte ran because they believe county government should work for the people who pay for it," Davis continued. "Voters agreed. I'm also proud of Congressional District 4 candidate Rachel Peace, and all of our democratic candidates for stepping up this year."
"This new wave of leaders proves what we've always believed: running for office is about making sure every voice has a seat at the table, not just a select few."
In a statement from Shaun Golden, the Monmouth County GOP Chairman, Golden thanked Raisch, Anderson, and Perry for "representing our party and working hard for Monmouth families."
"We are proud of our candidates who worked hard and showed the best of our party despite an undesired outcome," Golden said. "National headwinds made this a tough year for Republicans everywhere, but Monmouth County worked hard and showed up."
In his statement, Golden highlighted 34 candidates in 17 towns who ran without Democratic opposition.
He went on to say that "county races are close, and we will see to it that every single vote is counted."
"Congressman Chris Smith is going back to Washington to keep fighting for Monmouth County families, and our leadership team, candidates, and volunteers will keep fighting right here at home," Golden said.
"We are grateful to every voter and volunteer who stood with us and worked overtime for our party," he continued. "Despite the outcome, let us be clear: we're not going anywhere."
Editor's Note: This article has been updated with a statement from the Monmouth County Democrats Chairwoman.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Freehold Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.