Mary Gruccio

Republicans held control of the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, and will have a 3-2 majority next year.  GOP incumbent Robert Clifton was re-elected, but Democrats captured an open Republican seat with John D'Amico, a former Freeholder, State Senator and Superior Court Judge, defeating Republican Jeff Cantor by just 316 votes.

In Someret County, with Republican Patricia Walsh leads Democrat Melonie Marano.

Democrats picked up a Freeholder seat in Cumberland County, with Joseph Pepitone ousting incumbent Mary Gruccio.

In Burlington County, Republican Joseph Donnelly won an open Freeholder seat, defeating Democrat Tom Bader.

Democrats narrowly held two Freeholder seats in Passaic County. Incumbents Terry Duffy (29,980) and Pat Lepore (27,775) defeated Republicans Jerry Holt (24,318) and Joseph Stinziano (22,756).

Democrats held three Freeholder seats in Bergen County, but by a very narrow margin, according to The Record:

James M. Carroll* (D) -- 44,684
Tomas J. Padilla* (D) -- 44,179
Elizabeth Calabrese* (D) -- 45,155
Charles J.X. Kahwaty (R) -- 42,265
Robert B. Yudin (R) -- 42,932
Paul A. Duggan (R) -- 43,115

The Daily Journal has endorsed Democrat Douglas Rainear and Republican Mary Gruccio for re-election to the Cumberland County Board of Freeholders.  READ 

Cumberland and Salem are two of the most politically competitive counties in the state, but Democrats have maintained majorities on Freeholder boards in recent years in these two small counties.

Right now, Democrats have a 6-1 majority in Salem and a 5-2 majority in Cumberland. Come November, even if Republicans sweep all four of the upcoming freeholder races in those counties, they’ll still be the minority in both. Democrats, on the other hand, have an opportunity to completely shut out Republicans in Salem.

Countywide races in Cumberland and Salem tend to be close, with ticket splitting the norm. It’s not unusual for each party to win a Freeholder seat. In 2006, Tom Kean, Jr. beat Bob Menendez for U.S. Senate in Salem County, while Menendez carried Cumberland. In 2004, George W. Bush beat John Kerry in Salem but lost in Cumberland.