Cape May Republicans handle minor Democratic challenge in county race

Two Cape May Republican county commissioners, Andrew Bulakowski and Bobby Barr, defeated their lone Democratic challenger, Eric Morey, by about 8,000 votes.

Bulakowski, a senior representative of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, was elected in 2022 after Gerald Thornton retired after 39 years in county government. Barr became a county commissioner in 2023 after Marie Hayes resigned to become Cape May County Surrogate. A former Ocean City council president, Barr is a former Democrat who switched parties after an ally, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, became a Republican.

County Clerk Rita Rothberg was re-elected to a fifth five-year term without opposition. Her first win in 2005 followed the death of the legendary Angela Pulvino. She had previously been elected as Rita Fulginiti before her marriage to Michael Rothberg in 2020.