In a huge political shake-up within the Ocean County Republican Party, Manchester Mayor Rob Arace and Berkeley Township GOP Municipal Chair Jennifer Bacchione have been endorsed by the screening committee over the current commissioners, Gary Quinn and Bobbi Jo Crea, setting the stage for a final decision at the upcoming Ocean County Republican convention.
Arace and Bacchione are both closely allied with George Gilmore, who reclaimed his position as Ocean County GOP chairman last year. At just 30 years old and having served as mayor since 2022, Arace stands out as a notably young candidate for such a role in Ocean County. Bacchione, serving as the executive director of the county GOP and married to Berkeley Township Mayor John Bacchione, has been in politics for a long time.
The incumbents, Quinn and Crea, have their own deep roots in Ocean County politics. Quinn, a former mayor of Lacey, is in his second term as a commissioner, having been elected in 2018 to succeed John Bartlett. Crea, previously the mayor of Little Egg Harbor, secured her commissioner position in 2021, overcoming John Bacchione among others in a screening committee decision.
With the Ocean County Republican convention approaching, party members will have to decide whether to follow the screening committee’s recommendations or to maintain support for Quinn and Crea, marking a critical juncture for Ocean County’s political landscape.