Avalon mayor retiring after 32 years

Avalon will get a new mayor for the first time in 32 years, with Martin Pagliughi retiring after 36 years in local government.

Councilman John McCorristin has no opponent in his bid to become the new mayor of the Cape May County municipality.

Two incumbent members of the borough council, Barbara Juzaitis and Samuel Wierman, are also unopposed in the re-election bids.

Juzaitis was appointed to the council in 2018 after Dick Dean resigned for health reasons.  Wierman replaced Charles Covington, who retire.   They defeated one challenger, fishing supply store owner James Lutz, by a 2-1 margin in 2019.

Pagliughi, 73, made a bid for higher office in 1989 when he challenged freshman Assemblyman Edward Salmon (D-Millville) in the 1st legislative district.  Running with incumbent Frank LoBiondo (R-Vineland) in a Democratic year when gubernatorial candidate Jim Florio swept South Jersey, Pagliughi lost by 9,275 votes; LoBiondo held on to his seta by 1,407 votes against Democrat Raymond Batten.