Ocean County Democrats split their votes tonight, nominating one candidate each from two opposing slates to run for county commissioner in one of the most solidly Republican counties in the state.
Karen Sugden, one of two candidates backed by the Ocean Democratic organization, is in first with 30% of the vote, while Regina Discenza, who ran without party support, has 26%. Trailing them are party-backed candidate Kenneth Seda with 24% and Discenza’s running mate Joseph Lamb, who has 19%.
Sugden and Discenza will face Manchester Mayor Rob Arace and Berkeley Township GOP Municipal Chair/school board member Jennifer Bacchione in the general election. Arace and Bacchione were unopposed in the primary after the two incumbents, Gary Quinn and Bonni Jo Crea, dropped their re-election bids after losing a vote of the Ocean County Republican screening committee.
Democrats have not won a countywide election in Ocean County since 1989, when they captured two freeholder seats.
Discenza is a former Lacey school board member, and Sugden is a business financial administrator from Toms River. Seda is a former Republican who ran for county commissioner in the 2021 primary.