Ocean County Remains King of the Hill for Republican

Candidates Seeking Statewide Office in New Jersey

Toms River, NJ – Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore released the following statement on the results of the 2024 election in New Jersey:

New Jersey took a big swing towards common sense and practical leadership in the election this year. While the statewide results may have been a surprise to many, the reality is that here in Ocean County our voter base held true to Republican conservative principles.

Ocean County once again delivered the highest vote total and highest plurality in the state for Donald Trump – providing him with 227,210 votes, over 121,000 more that Kamala Harris. Moving down-ballot, our U.S. Senate candidate, Curtis Bashaw received 197,020 votes, over 87,000 more than Andy Kim. Congressman Van Drew and Smith won their respective portions of the county with 67% and 71% of the vote. At the local level for County Commissioner, Jennifier Bacchione received 214,109 votes and Rob Arace 211,778 votes, both winning by over 116,000 votes over their opponents.

We have come to expect success for our Republican Candidates in Ocean County. We have consistently built and maintained the strongest Republican organization in the state, and I am 100% confident that no matter what happens to the “county line” in the future our republican candidates will continue to be successful.

While statewide Republicans have come to reply on Ocean County for their largest margins of victory, Ocean County hasn’t always provided the largest number of raw votes for our candidates (some of the more heavily populated North Jersey counties have previously held that title), that changed in 2024. There were more than 222,000 votes cast for Republican candidates out of Ocean County while the next closest county provided just 210,000 votes.

As always, we welcome all candidates to spend more time in Ocean County. As 2025 ramps up we are prepared to work hard for the candidates who earn our endorsement, and we expect to provide similar levels of success for them next year!