Toms River Primary Election 2025: Early Voting Open

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The 2025 Primary Election is almost here, and New Jersey voters have decisions to make in both the Republican and Democratic primaries.

Our voter guide covers what to know about early voting, how you can vote by mail if you choose, and where polling places are for Primary Day on June 10, along with who's on the ballot in Toms River from the local level to the federal campaigns.

Key dates

• Primary Day: Tuesday, June 10
• Early voting: June 3-8; Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Early voting is available at these Ocean County library branches and the Southern Ocean Resource Center.
• Deadline for in-person applications for a mail-in ballot: Monday, June 9 by 3 p.m. Mail-In Ballot Application
• Where can I drop off my ballot? Ocean County has ballot dropboxes at 15 of the county's library branches, along with the Ocean County Courthouse and the county Board of Elections office. See the sites here. Ballots must be deposited in the dropbox by 8 p.m. June 10.
• Mailing it? Ballots must be postmarked by 8 p.m. June 10 and received by the Board of Elections by June 16.
• Where can I vote in person? Find your polling location online; it also will be on your sample ballot. Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 10.
• Track your mail-in ballot.

Who's On The Ballot

Toms River Township Council

The Toms River Township Council has all four ward seats up for election, with four-year terms. The Republican primaries for all four wards are contested, along with one Democratic ward primary.

In the Republican primaries, Ward 1 has incumbent Justin Lamb being challenged by Robert Bianchini. Bianchini ran for the Republican nomination for mayor of Toms River in 2023 and lost in the primary. Lamb was elected to the council in 2021, after defeating longtime councilwoman Maria Maruca in the primary.

In Ward 2, William Byrne is being challenged by Clinton Bradley. Byrne, a retiree and member of the board of directors of Holiday City Phase II in Silverton, is seeking a full term on the council. He won election in November 2024 to the final year of the term vacated when Daniel Rodrick won the mayor's seat. Byrne replaced George Lobman, who had been appointed to the seat for 2024 but chose not to seek election to the remainder of the term. Bradley works for Coalfire as a cloud infrastructure consultant.

In Ward 3, incumbent Jim Quinlisk is being challenged by Harry Aber for the nomination. Quinlisk was elected to the seat in 2021, defeating Grace Piscopo in the GOP primary and Democrat Karin Sage in the general election. The seat had been held by Democrat Laurie Huryk, who chose not to seek re-election. Aber is a newcomer and a technician for Veolia, the water company.

In Ward 4, incumbent David Ciccozzi is being challenged by two other candidates: Anthony Ricotta and Anthony Matarazzo. Ricotta is a newcomer and has the support of the Ocean County Republican Club. Matarazzo is a newcomer as well. Ciccozzi was elected to the Ward 4 seat in 2021, winning the primary against John J. Loiacono and then defeating Democrat Terrance Turnbach in the general election.

On the Democratic side, only the Ward 4 primary is contested, with Paul C. Williams and Justin Moran seeking the nomination. In Ward 1, the Democratic candidate is Anthony Colucci and in Ward 2, Susan Gato is the candidate. There is no Ward 3 Democratic candidate.

The primary battle between the Official Republican Team slate of Lamb, Byrne, Aber and Matarazzo, which is supported by Mayor Daniel Rodrick, and the America First Republicans for Toms River slate of Quinlisk, Ciccozzi, Bianchini and Bradley, has led to heated screaming matches during council meetings, including the most recent meeting on May 29, where Rodrick accused Quinlisk, Ciccozzi and others of being "liberal Democrats" because they oppose his most controversial actions.

Among those actions has been Rodrick's proposal to buy the property belonging to Christ Episcopal Church, either by agreement or by eminent domain. Church leaders said they believe Rodrick has taken the action because of a proposal to place a 17-bed shelter for the homeless in a building on the church's property. The proposal is opposed by many residents in the immediate area.

The proposal to take over the church has prompted an outcry from faith communities throughout Toms River and the Episcopal Church of New Jersey says the church is not for sale and is ready to fight to protect the property.

Quinlisk and Ciccozzi have pushed back in council meetings, criticizing Rodrick's spending on some items while cutting back on items they viewed as important, such as the police department. Rodrick has argued he has cut unnecessary spending, with an $11 million decrease in the township budget for 2025.

Ricotta, a senior account executive with AlphaSense, an artificial intelligence company, is supported by Ocean County Republican Club chairman George Gilmore and has support from Ocean County Commissioner Robert Arace, who helped circulate Ricotta's nominating petitions.

In addition to screaming matches at council meetings, the primary campaign has been filled with campaign mailers attacking candidates on both sides, accusations of campaign signs being removed and kicked down, and claims about charges that were dismissed and never prosecuted.

Byrne, who is in his first year on the council, has been credited in campaign flyers as helping to stop the Meridia apartment building project that had been planned on Water Street. That project was halted in August 2024, before Byrne was elected. Meridia has a lawsuit pending against Toms River over the revocation of the project approval. Byrne was seated on the council in December 2024, in time to vote to cancel the downtown redevelopment plan that was connected with the Meridia project.

In the Ward 4 Democratic primary, Moran, the county Democratic Club choice, says he wants to build a strong community and support small businesses. Williams, who has run as an independent previously, is a persistent critic of both the Republicans controlling the township and the Toms River Democratic establishment, which he feels has not done enough to combat issues or fight to represent the interests of Toms River residents.

The biggest challenge in the primary election is voter participation, as voters are frequently apathetic in years where there is no presidential election. In 2023, Rodrick received 4,710 votes in the Republican primary, out of 27,241 registered Republican voters that year, 17.2 percent of the possible votes. There were 10,350 votes cast in the Republican primary that year. In the 2023 general election, Rodrick received 13,820 votes out of 20,033 ballots cast in a town that had 70,654 registered voters, or 19.6 percent of the voters in Toms River.

Ocean County Commissioner

There are two three-year terms up for election on the Board of Commissioners in November. The primaries are uncontested. The Republican candidates are Ray Gormley, a longtime Little Egg Harbor committeeman, and Sam Ellenbogen of Toms River, founder and CEO of Triumph Building Group. The Democratic candidates are Arthur Halloran, a former Brick Township councilman, and Brandon Rose of Jackson, who has spent more than 25 years at the New Jersey Parole Board.

Ocean County Clerk

The clerk's seat, a five-year term, is up for election. Acting county clerk John Catalano is not seeking the seat. There are two Republican candidates: Rory Wells of Manchester, who was an assistant prosecutor in the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office for 14 years and now works as an attorney and public speaker; and John P. "Jack" Kelly of Eagleswood, who has served on the Ocean County Board of Commissioners since 1993. The sole Democrat seeking the clerk's seat is Samuel Pinkava of Waretown.

Ocean County Sheriff

The sheriff's position is a three-year term. The primaries are uncontested, with incumbent Michael Mastronardy running for the Republican nomination and Jeff Horn, a local attorney, running for the Democratic nomination.

10th District Assembly

Both Assembly seats, two-year terms, are up for election in November. The Republican primary is uncontested, with incumbents Gregory McGuckin and Paul Kanitra seeking re-election. The Democratic primary is contested. Janine G. Bauer, who is an attorney and lives in Spring Lake Heights, is running on the Ocean County Democrats 2025 ticket. Also running are Debra DiDonato and Phil Nufrio on the ticket Democrats For Change. Nufrio, who lives in Seaside Park, was a professor at Metropolitan College of New York and is retired. DiDonato lives in South Toms River and is a registered nurse. She also has run for mayor in South Toms River and serves on local boards.

New Jersey Governor

The gubernatorial primaries are both contested. There are five Republicans seeking the nomination: Justin Barbera, Bill Spadea, Jon Bramnick, Mario Kranjac, and Jack Ciattarelli. Ciattarelli, who ran against Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021 and narrowly lost, received the endorsement of President Donald Trump in mid-May. Barbera, from Burlington County, is a contractor and a MAGA conservative, according to his Facebook account. Spadea was the former morning drive host on NJ 101.5 FM. Bramnick is the state senator representing the 21st District. Kranjac, the former mayor of Englewood Cliffs, bills himself as a political outsider and self-made attorney and business owner, and embraces the "Forever Trumpy" label.

Related: 5 Takeaways From First GOP Debate For NJ Governor

The Democratic primary features six candidates seeking the nomination: Steve Sweeney, Ras J. Baraka, Josh Gottheimer, Mikie Sherrill, Sean Spiller, and Steven Fulop. Sweeney is the former state Senate president. Baraka is the mayor of Newark. Gottheimer serves New Jersey's 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sherrill is the House member from New Jersey's 11th District. Spiller is the former president of the New Jersey Education Association. Fulop is the mayor of Jersey City.

Related: Meet The 6 Democratic Candidates For New Jersey Governor (VIDEOS)