Cumberland County voters came out for the 2024 General Election and chose leaders for county and local positions.
While some results are still being finalized, the current numbers give a clear picture of the winners and show some interesting changes in voting patterns.
In the County Clerk race, Celeste M. Riley, a Democrat, won with 27,024 votes, beating her Republican opponent, Victoria K. Lods, who received 25,024 votes.
For County Commissioner, Antonio F. Romero, a Republican, and Robert A. Austino, a Democrat, won the two seats with 26,413 and 25,854 votes, respectively.
Their opponents, John P. Capizola Jr. and Joseph V. Sileo Jr., came close in this competitive race.
In the education races, the Bridgeton Board of Education added Christina E. Lingo, Dionne M. Edwards, and Mary A. Peterson to its team, as they received the most votes among all candidates.
Despite their efforts, other candidates, like Markida L. Taylor and Damita T. White-Morris, didn’t get enough votes to win.
In Commercial Township, Republican Joseph E. Klaudi won an uncontested seat on the township committee.
At the same time, voters selected Thomas J. Forkin, Heather N. Whitaker, and Jessica N. Driver for the Board of Education.
Abigail P. O’Brien, a Republican, won an uncontested spot on the Deerfield Township Committee.
No one filed to run for the Deerfield Board of Education’s open positions, so those seats are empty for now.
Downe Township had Robert G. Campbell winning the committee seat with no Democratic opposition, while Albert E. Casper Jr. and Candy S. Stratton were chosen for the township’s Board of Education.
Voters in Downe Township rejected a proposed tax increase to hire an armed school security guard, with 373 voting “No” compared to 267 voting “Yes.”
Fairfield Township saw Democrats Stephen M. Bateman and Michael L. Peterson win committee seats while Alta L. Lloyd, Darlington Henry Jr., and Cory E. Ridgeway were voted onto the school board.
In Greenwich Township, Democrat Mark Werley won a committee seat without competition.
In Hopewell Township, Republicans Roberta S. Freitag and Thomas J. Tedesco Jr. won committee seats, while Michael A. DeRose and Frank Devita were elected to the school board.
In Lawrence Township, Democrat Joseph A. Miletta Jr. narrowly won a committee seat over Republican Charlie N. Woody.
Kristen J. Figueroa and Jacqueline Cook won seats on the Lawrence Board of Education, outpacing Cara E. Garrison.
Maurice River Township voters chose Republican Ben S. Stowman for a committee seat, while Danna L. Phillips and John W. Campbell won seats on the school board.
However, no one filed for the third school board position.
In Vineland, Mayor Anthony R. Fanucci, a non-partisan candidate, was re-elected with 15,110 votes, far ahead of his challenger Robert Romano.
The non-partisan City Council filled all five seats, with Cruz Gomez Jr., Elizabeth A. Arthur, Scott E. English, Paul F. Spinelli, and Albert Vargas receiving the highest votes.
Shane L. Harris, Alix G. Silva, and Donna M. Perez won seats on the Vineland Board of Education.
There were challenges and recounts during the election process.
Peter Pappas requested a recount in the County Commissioner race after trailing Henry Tyson by just 179 votes.
And the recount confirmed Tyson’s win.
The Board of Elections also reviewed and removed some ballots during the recount.
Eight ballots were invalidated because the voters passed away before Election Day.
Five ballots were flagged for being duplicates, and nine were disqualified because the voters were still serving felony probation.
One non-citizen ballot was also removed after the voter alerted the Board of Elections about their ineligibility.
It’s evident that mail-in ballots were an important part of this year’s election.
Ballots that were postmarked by November 5 were accepted and counted until November 11.
Provisional ballots and same-day voter registrations were also added to the process, with some registrations needing to be verified before those ballots could be counted.
The election also showed some changes in political trends.
Donald Trump won Cumberland County in the presidential race by 9.66 points, a smaller lead than in previous elections.
In 2016, he led Hillary Clinton by 17.81 points, and in 2020, his lead dropped to 10.52 points against Joe Biden.
This year’s smaller margin suggests a slow shift toward Democrats in the county, which has long been a Republican stronghold.
Democrats saw this as progress and credited their efforts to connect with voters and increase engagement.
Republicans, however, stayed optimistic.
They pointed to their success as the result of strong grassroots campaigning and better use of mail-in voting.
Many local races were won by Republican candidates, especially in contests where they faced no opposition.
GOP leaders focused on reaching less frequent voters and addressing key issues like the economy, which continue to resonate with their supporters.
Both parties are now looking ahead to the next elections.
Local races in 2025 and the governor’s race in 2026 are already priorities for both sides.
Democrats want to build on their recent gains by staying in touch with voters and focusing on important issues.
Republicans are doubling down on the strategies that worked well this year to solidify their strength in local races.
In Cumberland County, where politics are subtly shifting, voter outreach and smart campaigning made all the difference.
