Adam Wingate was re-elected to a second term as Gloucester County Republican Chairman tonight, easily defeating two challengers by a wide margin.
Wingate received 129 votes (65%), followed by former Sheriff Jonathan Sammons with 43 votes (22%) and former Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer (R-Woolwich) with 26 votes (13%).
Two years ago, Wingate, the mayor of Harrison Township, ousted six-year incumbent Jacci Vigilante in 2024, 121-91.
Gloucester County Republicans appeared to be surging after an unexpected wave election in 2021. Jack Ciattarelli won the county by 10 percentage points over Gov. Phil Murphy; Ed Durr (R-Logan) unseated Senate President Steve Sweeney; and the GOP flipped two Assembly seats. On top of that, Sammons ousted a veteran Democratic sheriff, and two Republicans won county commissioner seats.
An internal dispute over the selection of Senate and Assembly candidates in the 4th district in 2023 – and a primary challenge to Durr by freshman Assemblywoman Sawyer in the 3rd district – split the party. Democrats beat Durr in the general election and regained their two Assembly seats; Sammons lost re-election in 2024, and the two GOP commissioners held on. Last year, Sammons lost a bid for county commissioner.