By John Burton
In the 11th state Legislative District Republican incumbents Senator Jennifer Beck, Red Bank, and Assembly members Caroline Casagrande, Colts Neck, and Mary Pat Angelini, Ocean, are all running for reelection. Hoping to stop them are Democrats Dr. Michael Brantley, a dentist and Neptune deputy mayor, who is running for the Senate seat; Kevin McMillian, who currently serves on the Neptune township committee, and Edward Zipprich, a Red Bank borough councilman, are all running for the Assembly.
For the 12th Republican incumbent Samuel Thompson, Old Bridge, is running against Democrat Raymond Dothard, Millstone, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel. On the Assembly side, Republican incumbents Ronald Dancer, Plumstead, and Robert Clifton, Matawan, are working to stave off challenges from Democrats Larry Furman, Manalapan, and Nick Nellegar, Matawan.
The 13th District, which covers the county’s Bayshore area along with communities running along the oceanfront and elsewhere, has Republican Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos, Middletown, who is serving his sixth term in the Senate, seeking another term. He is being challenged by Joseph Marques, a Hazlet resident who has previously served on its township committee and zoning board of adjustment. Kyrillos’ running mates are incumbents Declan O’Scanlon, Little Silver, and Amy Handlin, Middletown. Opposing them are Democrats Allison Friedman, Aberdeen, and Michael Morehead, Middletown.
On the county level, voters will be selecting candidates to fill two three-year seats on the Board of Chosen Freeholders and one of two candidates vying to be the county’s sheriff.
Republicans Tom Arnone, Neptune City, who is this year’s freeholder director, and Serena DiMaso, a Holmdel resident and this year’s deputy director, are running for another term. Facing off against the incumbents are Brian Froelich, a Spring Lake retired businessman, and Larry Luttrell, Holmdel, a lawyer.
For the sheriff’s three-year term, voters are being asked to choose between incumbent Republican Shaun Golden, Farmingdale, who has held the position since January 2010, when he was selected to fill the unexpired term of Kim Guadagno, and won a full term in November 2010; and Ruben Scolavino, Freehold, a lawyer who had previously worked for the Bronx, N.Y., district attorney’s office.
