With 87% of vote counted, Monmouth has returned to red

Joe Biden has now lost his lead in Monmouth County, with Donald Trump now ahead by 2,521 votes, 49.7% to 48.9%.

So far, 326,830 ballots have been counted, with less than 50,000 remaining.

Republican freeholder candidates now have a solid lead and the GOP appears to be almost free and clear in the bid to maintain their 5-0 majority.

Longtime Freeholder Lillian Burry, 85, is the top vote-getter with 167,269 votes, while her running mate, Ross Licitra, is at 166,160.  Democrat Michael Penna is running third, 24,759 votes behind Licitra, and Democrat Moira Nelson is 2,034 votes behind Penna.

Licitra, a former narcotics detective who now runs the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Monmouth County branch, is on his way to winning the open seat of retiring GOP Freeholder Patrick Impreveduto.

County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon has won a landslide re-election.  She leads Democrat Angela Ahbez-Anderson by 56,641 votes, 59%-41%.  She is running 23,698 votes in front of Trump.

In the U.S. Senate race, Republican Rik Mehta has a 10,021-vote lead, 51%-48%, against incumbent Cory Booker.

Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton) has a massive 29,457-vote lead in the Monmouth County portion of the 4th district over beleaguered Democratic challenger Stephanie Schmid.  Smith easily beat Schmid districtwide, leading by 20 points and 71,282 votes.

Sixth district Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch) won an 18th term in Congress and leads Republican Christian Onuoha by 28 points, 64%-36%.  In the Monmouth portion of his district, Pallone is up by 6,941 votes.

In the closely-watched Howell mayor race, Democratic incumbent Theresa Berger is holding a solid 2,360 votes, 54%-46%, against Republican Suzanne Brennan.

The race for a Howell council seat is much closer: Democrat Andre De Garmeaux, is ahead of Republican Evelyn Masbury-O’Donnell by just 153 votes, 50.3%-49.7%.

The contest for council seats in Eatontown, Keyport and Neptune City are too close to call.