Few Island Town Council Seats Will Be Contested in 2026 Municipal Elections

An Ocean County, N.J. polling place sign. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

A small number of seats open on municipal councils on the island will be contested in 2026, according to data released by the Ocean County Clerk’s office, with most races consisting of incumbents hoping to return to their seats.

The clerk’s office recently released the list of certified candidates for the June primary election. The primary consists only of those who wish to represent one of the two major parties on the November general election ballot. Independent candidates can still register up until the June 2, 2026 primary to run in the fall.

In Lavallette, there are no contested partisan races this year. Mayor Walter LaCicero is running unopposed for the Republican nomination, and no Democrat candidate is seeking office. Likewise, incumbent Republican council members Anita Zalom and David Finter will run unopposed for their party’s nomination, while no Democratic candidates submitted petitions.

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In Seaside Heights, incumbent GOP council member Michael Carbone and Robert Triano are running unopposed for their party’s nomination to retain their seats. One Democrat, Daric Apai, has registered for the primary election to seek a council seat, though he was not endorsed by the official Democratic party organization.

Seaside Park’s election will be more heavily contested. Incumbent Republican councilmen Jerry Rotonda and Joe Connor are running unopposed for their party’s nomination to run for fresh terms on the council, and they will be opposed by two Democrats endorsed by the party organization. Michael Spadafino and Annette R. Dorman are running unopposed to challenge the incumbents as Democrats with their party’s endorsement.

There are no local elections in Toms River or Brick townships this year. Residents of South Seaside Park will now be eligible to vote in Seaside Park’s municipal election now that their neighborhood has been annexed by Seaside Park borough. South Seaside Park registered voters will now be part of Seaside Park Election District #3, the borough announced. They will remain in New Jersey Congressional District 2. (While largely irrelevant considering the annexation, Berkeley Township has no municipal races this year.)