MANCHESTER, NJ – Incumbent Mayor Robert Hudak was the top vote-getter in Manchester Township’s three-way race that pitted himself against Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore.
Hudak received 7,570 votes, or 44.26% of total votes, shy of the 50% needed to avoid a run-off election. In that election, Hudak will face Gilmore backed candidate Robert Arace on December 6th. Arace received 5,334 votes, or 31.19% of total votes.
Democrat challenger Ken Seda received just 4,186 votes.
Arace and Hudak will now face off in a run-off election next month and all eyes will continue to watch the race to see if the recently re-elected chairman can pull off an inter-party victory against an incumbent mayor.
Gilmore returned to power in July, defeating Sheriff Michael Mastronardy in the GOP Chairman’s Election to replace Frank B. Holman who opted to not run for re-election, vanishing shortly before his term expired in July.
The upcoming run-off now has the attention of the entire county and regional Republican leadership that pits supporters of the former Holman regime against those aligned with Gilmore.