Atlantic County Democrats have picked a political newcomer to run for county executive after their initial candidate died earlier this month.
Joyce Pratt, who runs small workplace training and grant writing firms, will take on popular six-term Republican Dennis Levinson. She’s replacing Peggy Capone, who died at age 60 after an extended illness.
“The best way to honor Peggy’s legacy is to continue her campaign,” Pratt said. “I’m honored that I can do a small part in carrying her torch, and I look forward to doing my part to ensure that all of our Democratic candidates have the greatest likelihood of success.”
Levinson is the longest-serving county executive in New Jersey history. He was elected in 1999 after another Republican, Richard Squires, retired after 20 years in office. Levinson defeated Democrat Thomas Foley, a former assemblyman who is now a Republican, by 2,523 votes, 53%-47%.
In his five re-election campaigns, Levinson has not fallen below the 60% mark. He defeated Northfield Councilwoman Susan Korngut in 2019 by 10,552 votes, 62%-38%.
The 77-year-old Levinson is a former high school history teacher who served as a Northfield councilman and freeholder-at-large before replacing Squires.
Republicans have held the Atlantic County Executive post since 1979, when Squires unseated Democratic incumbent Charles Worthington. Worthington gave up his State Assembly seat to seek the post in 1975, after voters approved a charter change that created a County Executive form of government.
He is also the only Republican among New Jersey’s five county executives. When Levinson was first elected in 1999, there were Republican county executives in Bergen, Essex and Mercer counties; the only Democrat was Hudson County Executive Robert Janiszewski.
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