Blumberg, running mates win in Margate

Margate Commissioner Maury Blumberg and his two running mates, Cathy Horn and Michael Collins, have won three seats on the Margate City Commission, a victory for the Atlantic County Republican establishment in the officially nonpartisan election.

As of 9:00 p.m., Blumberg’s slate combined for around 59% of the vote, while a slate led by rival Calvin Tesler had a collective 41%. 

Two of the city’s three incumbents, Mayor Michael Becker and Commissioner John Amodeo, chose to retire this year, making Blumberg the ticket’s new leader. Blumberg had previously served as mayor from 2015 to 2019.

Blumberg’s slate got financial backing from the Atlantic County Republican organization, and many of its top elected officials campaigned for the Friends of Margate ticket – notably including Assemblywoman Claire Swift, a resident of the city.

The Margate Deserves Better slate, which included Tesler, Aaron Singer, and Tish Calvarese, tried to argue that the status quo in Margate had led to corruption and overdevelopment. But faced with a fundraising deficit and organizational mobilization behind Blumberg, they were evidently unable to break through.