Two incumbents appointed to seats on the Neptune Township Council won Democratic primaries on Tuesday even though they had run on different slates.
Kevin McMillan, a former mayor who was named to fill a vacancy in December 2023, was the top vote-getter in his bid for a full term; he received 1,373 votes.
Derel Stroud, an aide to Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) who was appointed in February, finished second with 1,124 votes.
Jason Jones, a former school board member who ran with Stroud, finished third with 1,049 votes, and Planning Board member Bryan Acciani, who was allied with McMillan, received 866 votes.
McMillan was picked after the council declared the seat of Michael Brantley, who has not been in attendance for five months due to a serious illness, to be vacant. Brantley died in January. He had edged out former Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling, Jones, Stroud, and Acciani.
After three-term Committeeman Nick Williams resigned for health reasons in February, the council picked Stroud to replace him. Jones and Acciani had also competed in that process.
McMillan and Stroud will face Republicans Rachel Stolte and Jessica Ford. Stolte ran for mayor last year and won 39.5% against incumbent Keith Cafferty.