Toms River Council Primary: 10 GOP Candidates, 3 Slots

TOMS RIVER, NJ — When voters go to the polls in Toms River on Tuesday for the primaries, much of the attention will be on who will be chosen as the Republican mayoral candidate.

Voters also are faced with choosing candidates for the Republican slate for the council race from among 10 seeking nominations for the three at-large council seats. The three seats currently are held by Maurice "Mo" Hill, Brian Kubiel and George Wittmann. Hill is running for mayor; Kubiel and Wittmann are not seeking re-election.

Primary polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Check your sample ballot or with the Ocean County clerk's office for your polling location. If you are not registered with either party, you are still eligible to vote in the primary. You can vote only in the Republican or in the Democratic primaries, not both.

Here are the 10 candidates running for the three Republican spots on the November ballot:

Heather Barone: Barone, who is running solo, is a financial planner and serves on the Toms River Planning Board, and is president of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Ocean County, which advocates for children in foster care. She refers to herself as a Reagan Republican and said she is concerned about controlling development because of the effects on the environment, schools and infrastructure.

Kevin Geoghegan: Geoghegan is running with Councilman Maurice "Mo" Hill on the "We The People" slate. He served a year on the Toms River council after Brian Kubiel was elected to an at-large seat but lost to Councilman Dan Rodrick in the race for a full term in 2017. He worked in the police department for 25 years and is a life member of Silverton First Aid Squad. The slate is focused on purchasing more property to protect it from development and on redevelopment projects.

Josh Kopp: Kopp, who also is running with Hill, is the director of Kopp Electric Company and a U.S. Army National Guard veteran. In a video on the slate's Facebook page, Kopp said he is focused on teamwork and the commitment of the slate to the township.

Justin Lamb: Lamb, who is running with Councilman Dan Rodrick's "Save Toms River" slate, is a sergeant in the Lavallette Police Department and an attorney. Lamb ran against Councilwoman Maria Maruca in 2017 for the Ward 1 council seat but lost. The slate's campaign promises are to stop "Lakewood-style" development and to cut spending and taxes by eliminating positions and outsourcing the township's legal representation.

George Lobman: Lobman, who also is running on the Rodrick slate, is an engineer and the executive director of the Utility and Transportation Contractors Association of New Jersey, which represents firms involved in highway, utility, marine and heavy construction. Lobman worked for the state Department of Transportation for 33 years as the resident engineer on a number of highway projects. He served on the township Planning Board and was a liaisons member of the Ocean County Planning Board and Board of Education.

Ken Londregan: Londregan, who also is running on the Rodrick slate, is a vice principal in Old Bridge school system. He is a lifelong Toms River resident.

Matt Lotano: Lotano, who also is running on the Hill slate, operates Lotano Development Inc with his father, Gary, doing commercial and residential work in Ocean and Monmouth counties. Lotano said he is running to protect the futures of his children.

John Meehan: Meehan is running on former prosecutor Joseph Coronato's "Republican Reformers for Toms River" slate. He is an area manager for Jersey Central Power & Light and served on Gov. Chris Christie’s staff as outreach coordinator for the building trades unions, the New Jersey Globe reported. Meehan also has served on the Toms River Board of Adjustment. The Coronato slate's promises include keeping property taxes down, reducing the size of government, fighting the state school funding cuts, and addressing the opioid epidemic.

Christian Momm: Momm, who also is running on the Coronato slate, is a pharmaceutical sales representative and a volunteer soccer coach in the Toms River Futbol Club.

Ginny Rhine: Rhine, who also is running on Coronato's slate, is a member of the Toms River Regional Board of Education.

Check the Facebook pages of Barone and the three slates for more information:

Heather Richards-Barone for Toms River Council

We The People: Hill, Lotano, Kopp and Geoghegan.

Save Toms River: Rodrick, Londregan, Lobman and Lamb.

Republican Reformers for Toms River: Coronato, Rhine, Momm, and Meehan.

You can watch the mayoral debate among Hill, Coronato and Rodrick here: ICYMI: Toms River GOP Mayoral Debate

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