As votes continue to be counted, berger, degarmeaux hold lead in howell

As Votes Continue to be Counted, Berger, DeGarmeaux Hold Lead in Howell

by
July 1, 2022
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HOWELL TOWNSHIP, NJ –  Democrats are maintaining their lead in the Howell Township mayoral and council election held Tuesday.

Incumbent Mayor Theresa Berger and her running mate, Andre DeGarmeaux have maintained their lead as mail-in ballots continue to be counted.   Berger leads her Republican challenger Suzanne M. Brenna 10,949 votes to 8,088.   DeGarmeaux has 10,100 votes compared to 8,685 by his opponent, incumbent councilwoman Evelyn Malsbury-O’Donnell.

If Berger and DeGarmeux hold onto their lead as counting is expected to begin winding down in the next few days, it would give the Democrats a 3-2 majority on the township council. Their victory could also mean the end of embattled Business Manager Brian Geoghegan of Toms River.   Geoghegan’s close connections with the GOP establishment will likely allow himself to land on his feet elsewhere in either Monmouth or Ocean County.  This is the third business administration patronage job Geoghegan has held since he retired from the Jackson Police Department in 2014.

Howell voters appear to have overlooked party lines in this year’s election and voted based on local issues.  Berger and DeGarmeux strongly opposed the construction of a huge solid waste transfer facility on Randolph Road.  That facility is being built by a company owned by the husband of Claire French, former GOP clerk of Monmouth County.  The plan had the full endorsement of the GOP establishment until Shore News Network went public with an unpublicized meeting of the Solid Waste Advisory Council two years ago.   Since then the GOP establishment that had rubber-stamped the proposal has taken a public stance against it.

Another hot-button issue in Howell was the increase in high-density development approved during the Republican party’s control of the town council.  The Democrats opposed those developments while Republicans are being accused of pushing those projects through the pipeline for connected developers and friends by the Democrats.

While Berger’s lead continues to increase, O’Donnell has slightly closed the gap by about 50 votes per every 1,000 ballots counted.  That ratio will have to substantially increase for O’Donnell to make up the group in DeGarmeaux for her to pull a come-from-behind victory.

 

Phil Stilton
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Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

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