Toms river republicans endorse 82-year-old lifelong democrat for township council
82-Year-Old Lifelong Democrat Bil Byrnes addresses the Toms River Township Council. Byrnes, 82, after being nominated to run for township council

Toms River Republicans Endorse 82-Year-Old Lifelong Democrat for Township Council

Posted by
1 min read
April 13, 2024

TOMS RIVER, NJ – The Toms River Regular Republican Club, recently re-certified by Ocean County GOP, has announced their candidate for the 2024 election cycle. While Republicans are hard at work getting an 82-year-old lifelong Democrat out of office, Joe Biden, in Toms River, Republicans will be working overtime trying to get an 82-year-old lifelong Democrat into office.

William Byrne, 82, has been endorsed by the Toms River Regular Republican Club. Byrne became a Republican just days before the nomination process began after being a Democrat for nearly a full century.

County voting records obtained by Shore News Network show that Byrnes has been a registered Democrat, voting in both general and primary elections dating back to 2004. County records before 2004 were not available. It is certain that Ditto copies and typewritten records dating back to the 1960s also exist to show Byrne’s membership in the Democrat party.

Toms river republicans endorse 82-year-old lifelong democrat for township council
Photo: toms river republicans endorse 82-year-old lifelong democrat for township council

Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, when asked about the club endorsing Byrnes said simple, “He was not my choice.”

Byrnes is being challenged by retired Toms River Police Officer Kevin Geoghegan, a longtime Republican, and head of Silverton First Aid. He’s also a lifelong volunteer firefighter at Silverton Volunteer Fire Company.

Toms river republicans endorse 82-year-old lifelong democrat for township council
Photo: toms river republicans endorse 82-year-old lifelong democrat for township council

The Toms River Regular Republican Club said, “We are proud to be supporting Mr. Bill Byrnes, a 20-year Holiday City resident, past President of the Holiday City Board of Trustees, and current Trustee of Holiday City.”

The two will face off in the Republican Primary Election on June 4th.

Toms river republicans endorse 82-year-old lifelong democrat for township council
Photo: toms river republicans endorse 82-year-old lifelong democrat for township council
Toms river republicans endorse 82-year-old lifelong democrat for township council
Photo: toms river republicans endorse 82-year-old lifelong democrat for township council
Phil Stilton

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.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Don't Miss