Ocean County GOP wins prized Column A spot after old cold balls rumor melt away
Toms River, NJ — The Ocean County Republicans scored the prime Column A placement on the general election ballot last week, after a drawing overseen by new County Clerk John Catalano — putting an end to years of whispers about frozen balls, rigged containers, and backroom parlor tricks and Gilmore political sorcery under the prior clerk.
The drawing, held quietly at the county election offices, placed GOP candidates — including gubernatorial hopeful Jack Ciattarelli — in the coveted first column, a position long considered to give a strategic edge in voter visibility.
While the selection process was routine, the memory of years past hung in the air, when former Clerk Scott Colabella was the target of bizarre allegations suggesting he chilled or scuffed plastic capsules used in the drawing to tilt outcomes in favor of Republicans.
At the time, rumors became so widespread that attendees at the selection reportedly brought infrared thermal guns to scan the temperature of the drawing capsules, often referred to as “balls,” to detect foul play. Some accused Colabella of deliberately marking or chilling the capsules to rig the draw, though no formal complaint or evidence ever substantiated those claims.
Despite the past speculation, there were no such antics at this year’s drawing. Catalano, who took over the clerk’s role from Colabella, conducted the process without protest or challenge. And with no signs of tampering, conspiracy, or thermal scanning, the result remains uncontested: Column A belongs to the Republicans once again.
The Ocean County Republican Organization proudly posted the results on social media over the weekend, celebrating their ballot positioning as campaigns gear up for the fall election season. With strong GOP presence throughout the county and years of electoral dominance, the placement only reinforces their hold, whether or not Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore makes any further effort to support Ciattarelli the way he has supported past statewide candidates.
This year, Gilmore has held more campaign fundraisers for Democrat former New Jersey Governor James McGreevey, who is running for mayor of Jersey City. Gilmore has held fundraisers for the former Democrat, ousted from the governor’s office during a homosexual scandal with one of his subordinates.
Still, some observers jokingly speculated what method Catalano may have used to retain the party’s traditional ballot luck, with one insider quipping that it could be the “Gilmore touch,” a nod to longtime county political boss George Gilmore’s influence in Ocean County Republican politics,which has been in steady decline since he returned to power after being pardoned by President Trump on multiple federal tax convictions. Trump pardoned Gilmore just weeks before he was to report to prison for one year and day.
No party representatives raised formal objections during or after the draw, and no independent monitors filed complaints, signaling a clean process — or, at least, one no longer involving frozen containers.