Democrats Outspent GOP Nearly 2-1 in Brick Council Race

Brick Municipal Building / Photo: Daniel Nee

Post-election data from the state Election Law Enforcement Commission shows Brick Township Democrats trounced their Republican challengers in both campaign spending and fundraising.

The gulf between the two parties was highlighted in their respective fundraising numbers, where the Democrats – who swept the election and will maintain a 7-0 majority on the council in 2016 – raised about triple the amount of money as the Republicans. The Democrats raised $162,323 compared with the GOP’s $52,179.

The Democrats also outspent their challengers, expending $160,403 on the council race compared with the Republicans’ $85,096.

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The total amount spent by each party – $245,499 – adds up to more than $5 per vote. There were 44,230 votes cast for all nine candidates running in the election, plus write-ins. If each voter voted for four candidates, the parties’ combined spending added up to about $22 per voter.

The state requires multi-candidate campaigns that raise or spend above $12,300 to file a post-election wrap up report of campaign spending and fundraising receipts. The report also includes details on where last-minute funding influxes originated. Republicans raised more than $10,000 in party funding in the days before the election, as well as $7,500 from the Remington, Vernick and Vena engineering firm. The Democrats raised $10,000 from the state Laborer’s union, $2,000 from the Florio Kenny Raval law firm in Hoboken and another $2,000 from the Waters McPherson McNeill law firm of Secaucus.

The Democrats’ fundraising success is a significant reversal from most Ocean County races, where GOP candidates dominate in fundraising. Besides holding onto their seats in Brick, Democrats scored a victory in Little Egg Harbor Township on election night this year. The remainder of Ocean County municipalities, as well as county offices, remain in the hands of GOP officials.