Incumbents Win Re-Election in Toms River

The Toms River Township council will remain solely in the hands of the Republicans after Tuesday's election victory by four incumbents over their Democrat challengers.

Maria Maruca, Brian Kubiel, Jeffrey Carr and Alfonso Manforti all won by large margins.

Maruca said it has been a tough year that started as she was battling "not the Democrats, but a superstorm," referencing Superstorm Sandy.

Carr thanked his supporters at the Ocean County Republican victory party at the Route 37 Holiday Inn, saying the victory was a "team effort."

Ward 1: Maruca 64.95% / Stevens 34.95%
Ward 2: Kubiel 63.58% / Brush 36.39%
Ward 3: Carr 68.61% / Clifton 31.32%
Ward 4: Manforti 66.65% / Eytan 33.18%

Kubiel won the most votes of any candidate in Toms River with 4,138, according to county figures.

When asked why the Democrats lost in Toms River, eluding the success of all four Democrat candidates in Brick, Eli Eytan, one of the losing Toms River Democrats, said, "I think we had more people voting the straight party line in Toms River, from the governor on down. They were towing the party line rather than doing an analysis of the actual issues.

I think we raised some good issues in the campaign and I hope the
Republicans will consider them."

In contrast to the council election, James G. Sigurdson – aligned with township Democrats, though the election is legally nonpartisan – won a seat on the Toms River Regional Board of Education.

Sigurdson won with 41.59 percent of the vote.

Denise Di Stephan contributed to this story.