GOP Incumbents, “Clean Slate” Win In Ocean County [AUDIO]

Republican incumbents coasted to re-election Tuesday night, preserving the GOP's control of the freeholder board and sheriff's office as the "Clean Slate" takes over the Board of Education.

Voters re-elected longtime GOP freeholders Gerry Little and John Bartlett and Sheriff William Polhemus by wide margins.

62% of Ocean County voters came to the polls giving Mitt Romney a win over President Obama, 58%-40%.

Unofficially, Little and Bartlett captured 111,630 votes and 117,495 votes, respectively, far exceeding the totals recorded for Democratic candidates Joseph Grisanti (74,261) and Pat Barndt (71,738). Independent challengers Scott Newman and Tracy Caprioni each struggled to capture 1 percent of votes cast, with 3,510 and 3,828 votes, respectively.
Polhemus will enter his 28th year in office in 2013 after garnering nearly 56 percent of the vote for sheriff with 110,450 votes.

Republicans cancelled their traditional Election Night party in honor of victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Democratic challenger George "Bob" Armstrong garnered 82,031 votes cast, and Independent John McMenamin received less than 3 percent, with 5,140 votes.

The school board candidates who ran on the "Clean Slate" banner ousted incumbent school board members that served during the reign of imprisoned former school Superintendent Mike Ritacco.  The Toms River Patch Ginny Rhine, Joseph Torrone and Gigi Esparza beat incumbents Jack Reuther, Gus Kakavas And Jamie Jubert.  The Clean Slate now holds the majority on the board.