Republican incumbent now ahead in race for Morris freeholder

Republican incumbent Tayfun Selen has now taken the lead in the race for Morris County freeholder for the first time since election night.

Selen now leads Democrat Cary Amaro by 3,316 votes, 111,912 to 108,596.

About 16,000 more votes were counted on Wednesday, with around 64,000 vote-by-mail ballots and 12,500 provisionals still remaining to be tallied.

Amaro’s has been ahead of Selen since election night, but her 8,359-vote lead one week ago continues to dwindle.  She began the day in front by 401 votes.

Selen won a special election for freeholder in January to replace Heather Darling, who resigned to become Morris County Surrogate.

Making her second bid for freeholder, Amaro would become the first Democratic freeholder in Morris County since Douglas Romaine.  Romaine won in 1973 and lost his bid for re-election in 1976.