TOMS RIVER, N.J. — The Ocean County Board of Commissioners, long a bastion of conservative policy in one of New Jersey’s most reliably Republican strongholds, is charting a new course under the leadership of Commissioners Robert Arace and Frank Sadeghi.
The recent turnover, which saw the departure of veteran conservative commissioners Gary Quinn, Virginia Haines, and Joseph Vicari, has ushered in a slate of policies that signal a left-leaning shift, raising eyebrows among the county’s traditional GOP base.
Led by Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, a lobbyist for the South Jersey Democrat powerbrokers and a Norcross political lobbying firm, under Gilmore’s direction, the board of commissioners is going from a conservative iron dome, to a liberal and social justice centered body with two new Gilmore candidates running for office in November.
Arace, elected in 2024 from Manchester Township, and Sadeghi, who joined the board in 2023 from Island Heights, have emerged as key figures driving this change. Their agenda, which includes opposition to President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”, a bold support for multiple homeless shelters in Toms River, and support for high-density development, has sparked criticism in a county unaccustomed to such progressive priorities.
The commissioners have been in full support of the Ocean County library’s transition into a daytime homeless encampment and the use of the nearby municipal parking garage as a homeless shelter. The commissioners have opposed Mayor Dan Rodrick’s criticism of using the downtown county seat as a makeshift village for the region’s homeless.
Defying Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”
One of the most contentious moves by Arace and Sadeghi has been their vocal opposition to President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a Medicaid cost-cutting initiative aimed at reducing coverage for non-citizens. Initially, the all-Republican board, including Arace and Sadeghi, expressed concerns about the bill’s impact on local hospitals, nursing homes, and vulnerable populations reliant on Medicaid. Their stance triggered a political firestorm in Ocean County, a Trump stronghold, prompting accusations of betraying the GOP base.
While Trump and local congressmen have assured the commissioners that the bill’s aim is to remove millions of illegal immigrants from receiving free taxpayer funded healthcare, Sadeghi and Arace joing the entire body in condemning President Trump’s move.
Facing intense backlash, the board reversed its position in May 2025, announcing support for the bill after discussions with Republican U.S. Representatives Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew. However, Arace and Sadeghi’s initial resistance left a lasting impression, with critics arguing it revealed their left-leaning tendencies.
“This was a wake-up call for Ocean County Republicans,” said a local GOP activist. “Arace and Sadeghi are out of step with our values.”
The two later reversed their stance after public backlash.
Democrats, however, praise the commissioners for prioritizing local healthcare needs over partisan loyalty.
“They stood up for our hospitals and our most vulnerable residents,” said an Ocean County resident at last week’s No Kings protest. “That takes courage in a place like Ocean County.”
Arace and Sadeghi have also championed an ambitious plan to address homelessness, positioning Ocean County—and Toms River in particular—as a regional hub for homeless services. In April 2025, the board proposed converting the Code Blue warming center at 1959 Route 9 in Toms River into a full-time, supervised shelter with comprehensive support services. Sadeghi, who has described homelessness as a “growing reality” exacerbated by rising housing costs, has been a vocal advocate for the initiative. Arace, meanwhile, has emphasized public safety, coordinating with Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy to increase police patrols around proposed shelter sites.
The plan includes additional warming centers, multiple shelters, and a controversial homeless camp along Route 9. While supporters argue these measures address a pressing humanitarian crisis, critics, including Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick, have fiercely opposed the plan. Rodrick has accused the county of turning Toms River into a “dumping ground” for the homeless, citing concerns about public safety and downtown businesses. A petition opposing a related proposal to establish a homeless shelter at Christ Episcopal Church in Toms River garnered over 5,000 signatures, highlighting the depth of local resistance.
“Arace and Sadeghi are pushing an agenda that doesn’t reflect Ocean County’s priorities,” Rodrick said at a recent township council meeting. “We need solutions, not more problems.”
Despite the pushback, the commissioners remain committed, with Sadeghi noting that the Route 9 facility was retrofitted specifically to serve the homeless population effectively.
The ace, or Arace in the hole
Weeks before losing the New Jersey gubernatorial election with his client Bill Spadea, Chairman Gilmore paraded Robert Arace as the “next Republican Governor of New Jersey”, and Arace has been all-in with Gilmore’s political and financial positions. Arace has quickly reason to the top of Gilmore’s inner circle by rubber stamping everything the chairman wants. That’s the way the chairman likes his commissioners: waterboys who won’t ask too many questions, go along with the plan, and hope for crumbs at the end of the road. Most who deal with the chairman at this point know, those crumbs rarely ever materialize and Arace will be discarded quicker than a bad hand in a poker game once his usefulness to the chairman comes to an end.
High-Density Development and Affordable Housing
Perhaps the most transformative aspect of Arace and Sadeghi’s agenda is their support for high-density development projects, aligning with former Governor Phil Murphy’s statewide push for affordable housing. In Manchester Township, where Arace previously served as mayor, the zoning board is eyeing high-density single-home tracts, townhomes, and apartments to accommodate growing demand. Arace has advocated for “smart planning” to balance development with the township’s suburban and rural character, but critics argue these projects threaten Ocean County’s quality of life.
Sadeghi, whose firm Morgan Municipal Services has ties to county development initiatives, has also backed these efforts, emphasizing the need to boost the tax base to fund services like emergency medical care and veteran facilities. However, the involvement of Sadeghi’s firm and its connections to Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore have raised ethical questions about potential conflicts of interest. “The lines between politics and profit are getting blurry,” said a Manchester resident who requested anonymity.
The development push has drawn comparisons to Murphy’s affordable housing mandates, which many Ocean County residents view as an overreach of state authority. “This feels like Trenton’s agenda, not Ocean County’s,” said Berkeley Township resident Tom Gallagher. “Arace and Sadeghi are selling out our communities for high-rise apartments.”
A County at a Crossroads
The rapid turnover on the Ocean County Board of Commissioners—marked by a 100% replacement of its members in recent years—has left the county grappling with its identity. Arace and Sadeghi, alongside Commissioner Jennifer Bacchione, represent a new generation of leadership that is challenging the county’s conservative orthodoxy. Their policies, from defying Trump’s Medicaid cuts to expanding homeless services and embracing high-density development, reflect a willingness to tackle complex issues, even at the cost of alienating their base.
This turnover was plotted by Chairman Gilmore, a convicted felon, pardoned by the President, who sought to clear the entire board of his conservative political enemies, to implant loyalists on the board who would not question his rather erratic and financially motivated ambitions.
Yet, the backlash has been fierce. The Ocean County GOP, led by Gilmore, remains a powerful force, and the commissioners’ leftward tilt risks fracturing party unity.
The 2025 primary elections, which saw Gilmore’s preferred gubernatorial candidate Bill Spadea lose to Trump-endorsed Jack Ciattarelli, underscored the county’s deep political divisions.
As Ocean County looks toward 2026, the question remains whether Arace and Sadeghi can bridge the gap between their progressive ambitions and the county’s conservative roots.
For now, their leadership marks a pivotal moment in Ocean County’s history, one that could reshape its future—or ignite a conservative backlash.
