Mazzeo, Armato re-elected in 2nd district Assembly race

Update: Armato has now grown his lead to 916 votes.

Vince Mazzeo (D-Northfield) and John Armato (D-Buena Vista) have been re-elected, with late vote-by-mail ballots and provisional ballots from Democratic strongholds like Atlantic City and Pleasantville giving them an insurmountable lead over their Republican challengers.

With vote-by-mail ballots counted, Mazzeo is the top vote-getter with 22,364, followed by Armato with 21,238.  Republican John Risley, an Atlantic County Freeholder, is 916 votes behind Armato with 20,322.

The other GOP candidate, former Brigantine Mayor Phil Guenther, trails Risley by 15 votes and is 2,057 votes behind Mazzeo.

There are still about 2,000 provisional ballots to be counted, although with about one-quarter of them counted, Mazzeo and Armato have each gained about 250 votes.

The politically competitive Atlantic County district is one of two in the state with a Republican senator and two Democratic assemblymen.

Guenther and Risley led in last Tuesday’s election.

Mazzeo won his first term in 2013, defeating incumbent John Amodeo (R-Margate) by 40 votes.