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TOMS RIVER - Republican Freeholders John Bartlett Jr. and Gerry Little overwhelmingly won re-election Tuesday, with more than double the votes their Democratic opponents received.

Bartlett received 118,399 votes and Little received 113,735, enough to beat Michael Collins and Robert Bianchini by about 63,000 each.

Republican Sheriff candidate William L. Polhemus also defeated Democratic challenger George "Bob" Armstrong by nearly 54,000 votes in the countywide race.

Bartlett, already the longest serving freeholder in county history at nearly 30 years, won a record 11th three-year term. Little won his second full term, having first been appointed and then elected to an unexpired term in 2003.

"We will continue to deliver the fiscal conservatism that this county demands," Bartlett said.

Collins and Bianchini were dramatic underdogs in the race. Neither had held public office before, and they faced Republican candidates who raised about 10 times more money in a county that has not seen a Democrat win a countywide campaign in 20 years.

"The numbers were a little more skewed than I expected," Collins said. "It's been a string of wins (for Republicans) all the way across the board, so that's a little disturbing."

Collins thought their campaign and other Democrats' campaigns would have had more support if not for Gov. Jon S. Corzine's deep unpopularity in the county, where Republican Chris Christie dramatically beat him.

"I think the bottom line was, we got beat up," Bianchini said.

Bartlett and Little's victory followed a resounding primary election victory over challengers from the Traditional Republicans of Ocean County organization, winning by about 9,000 votes or 12 percentage points each this past June.

At the time, the two said it had re-energized the county Republican Party, and on Tuesday night party officials cheered for them as made their victory speeches at the Holiday Inn in Toms River.

"It is a great privilege, we have a great county, Ocean County. It is a great place and we've very proud of it," Little said.

Contact Lee Procida:

609-457-8707

LProcida@pressofac.com

1 comment:

• MisterKeene (0) posts 3:30 pm

  Success leads to more success....good for Bartlett & Little...keep up the good work!

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