Ocean City voters elected Jay Gillian mayor for a fifth time on Tuesday, the New Jersey Globe projects. defeating a pair of councilmembers who had challenged him.
As of 12:32 AM, Gillian had received 43% of the vote, while Councilman Keith Hartzell trailed with 36% and Councilman Peter Madden lingered with 20%.
Gillian’s personal struggles have sparked controversy. The former owner of Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, which closed amid financial struggles in 2024, led Gillian to file for Chapter 11 personal bankruptcy protection in December, and led to almost $6 million in debt. The mayor has said his personal financial struggles don’t affect his performance as mayor, but much of the campaign has focused on how to redevelop his shuttered Wonderland Pier.
Gillian defeated Hartzell in 2022 by about nine percentage points.
Two Council incumbents, Sean Barnes and Tony Polcini, successfully sought re-election. Jim Kelly nabbed the third seat, vacated by Madden, over Jocelyn Palaganas.
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