In a race for an unexpired term on the Toms River Township Council, William Byrne scored a decisive victory in a race for one-year unexpired term.
Byrne won the Ward 2 Republican primary by with 60% of the vote against former Councilman Kevin Geohegan.
The 82-year-old Byrne had been a lifelong Democrat until switching parties to run for councilman. He was the choice of Mayor Dan Rodrick, who gave up his council seat to become mayor earlier this year.
He had been the president of the Holiday City Board, an influential senior citizens community in Toms River.
Geohegan was elected in 2019 on a slate with Mayor Mo Hill, and then lost re-election last year when Rodrick beat Hill in the GOP primary.
George Lobman was appointed to replace Rodrick, but did not run for the seat. He’ll leave office once the results of the November 2024 election are certified.
Byrne will face Democrat Susan Payne Gato in the general election. Rodrick had won the seat as a Democrat in 2017 and then switched parties the following year.