In New Jersey’s smallest county — Salem has about the same population as Old Bridge — Republicans renominated County Commissioner Ed Ramsay after a primary challenge from construction company owner Lew Merryfield.
As of 9:23 p.m., Ramsay leads Merryfield, 1,059 to 373. He will face Democrat Charles Hassler, a former Salem County freeholder, in the general election.
Merryfield had the top ballot position and the endorsement of County Commissioner Dan Timmerman.
Ramsay unseated Hassler by about 375 votes in 2020.
Republicans have had a 5-0 majority on the Board of Commissioners since 2022, when they flipped the open seat of retiring Democrat Lee Ware. Hassler had sought a comeback but was unsuccessful.
Two of the five Republican seats are up this year. County Commissioner Paul Collier won the GOP primary for a one-year unexpired term without opposition.
After Mickey Ostrum resigned to become Salem County Surrogate, Collier defeated Carneys Point Committeeman Wayne Pelura, 33-16, in a special election. He led Pelura on the first ballot, 2014, with nine votes for Merryfield, six votes for former Oldmans Township school board president Gary Green, and one vote for Lou Pasquale, a Penns Grove planning board member. On the second ballot, Collier led Pelura, 21-14, with seven each for Merryfield and Green.
Collier will face Democrat Buddy Ayars.
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