Editing Cape May County, New Jersey (section)

==Government==
===County government===
Cape May County is governed by a [[Board of County Commissioners (New Jersey)|Board of County Commissioners]] consisting of five members elected [[at-large]] in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for vote as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in January, the board selects a director and deputy director from among its members.<ref>[http://capemaycountynj.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=401 What is a Freeholder?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518090713/http://capemaycountynj.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=401 |date=May 18, 2015 }}, Cape May County, New Jersey. Accessed October 23, 2017.</ref> In 2016, commissioners were paid $17,973 and the director was paid an annual salary of $18,973.<ref>Gallo Jr., Bill. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/how_much_your_county_freeholders_others_in_nj_earn.html "Which N.J. county freeholders are paid the most?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026113548/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/how_much_your_county_freeholders_others_in_nj_earn.html |date=October 26, 2017 }}, [[NJ.com]], March 11, 2016. Accessed October 25, 2017. "Freeholder director: $18,973; Other freeholders: $17,973"</ref> No Democrat has won countywide office since [[Jeff Van Drew]] did so in 2000. {{As of|2025}}, Cape May County's commissioners are (with terms for director and vice director ending every December 31):<ref name=Directory>[https://capemaycountynj.gov/586/Board-of-County-Commissioners Board of County Commissioners], Cape May County. Accessed September 19, 2022.Note that as of date accessed, Desiderio was listed with an incorrect term-end year of 2021.</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Commissioner 
! Party, Residence, Term 
|-
| Director Leonard C. Desiderio 
| [[Republican Party (United States)|R]], [[Sea Isle City, New Jersey|Sea Isle City]], 2027<ref>[https://capemaycountynj.gov/Directory.aspx?EID=77 Leonard C. Desiderio], Cape May County New Jersey. Accessed September 19, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Vice Director Andrew Bulakowski
| R, [[Lower Township, New Jersey|Lower Township]], 2025<ref>[https://capemaycountynj.gov/Directory.aspx?EID=82 Andrew Bulakowski], Cape May County New Jersey. Accessed January 30, 2023.</ref>
|-
| Robert Barr 
| R. [[Ocean City, New Jersey|Ocean City]], 2025<ref>[https://capemaycountynj.gov/directory.aspx?EID=266 E. Marie Hayes], Cape May County New Jersey. Accessed September 19, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Will Morey 
| R, [[Wildwood Crest, New Jersey|Wildwood Crest]], 2026<ref>[https://capemaycountynj.gov/Directory.aspx?EID=81 Will Morey], Cape May County New Jersey. Accessed September 19, 2022.</ref>
|- 
| Melanie Collette 
| R. [[Middle Township, New Jersey|Middle Township]], 2026<ref>[https://capemaycountynj.gov/directory.aspx?EID=79 Jeffrey L. Pierson], Cape May County New Jersey. Accessed September 19, 2022.</ref>
|}

Each county in New Jersey is required by the [[New Jersey State Constitution]] to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers." These officers are the [[County Clerk]] and [[Probate Court|County Surrogate]] (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the [[Sheriff|County Sheriff]] (elected for a three-year term).<ref>[http://www.nj.gov/state/archives/docconst47.html#page16 New Jersey State Constitution (1947), Article VII, Section II, Paragraph 2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101123505/http://www.nj.gov/state/archives/docconst47.html#page16 |date=November 1, 2014 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed October 26, 2017.</ref> Cape May County's Constitutional Officers are:<ref>[http://capemaycountynj.gov/908/Constitutional-Offices Constitutional Officers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024045135/http://capemaycountynj.gov/908/Constitutional-Offices |date=October 24, 2017 }}, Cape May County, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2018.</ref><ref name=Directory/>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title
! Representative
|-
| County Clerk
| Rita Marie Rothberg (R, 2025, Ocean City)<ref>[https://capemaycountynj.gov/189/County-Clerk County Clerk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917074251/https://capemaycountynj.gov/189/County-Clerk |date=September 17, 2021 }}, Cape May County, New Jersey. Accessed September 17, 2021.</ref><ref name=2020Election>{{cite web |title=2020 General Election Summary Report |url=https://www.capemaycountyvotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020-general-Summary-Report-Final.pdf |website=Cape May, NJ Elections |publisher=Cape May County Election Departments |access-date=September 17, 2021 |archive-date=September 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917074250/https://www.capemaycountyvotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020-general-Summary-Report-Final.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[https://coanj.com/member-list/clerks/ Members List: Clerks] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917074251/https://coanj.com/member-list/clerks/ |date=September 17, 2021 }}, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed September 17, 2021.</ref>
|-
| Sheriff
| Robert Nolan (R, 2026, Lower Township)<ref>[http://www.cmcsheriff.net/ Home Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518073608/http://www.cmcsheriff.net/ |date=May 18, 2015 }}, Cape May County Sheriff. Accessed June 6, 2018.</ref><ref name=2020Election /><ref>[https://coanj.com/member-list/sheriffs/ Members List: Sherriffs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917074252/https://coanj.com/member-list/sheriffs/ |date=September 17, 2021 }}, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed September 17, 2021.</ref>
|-
| Surrogate
| E Marie Hayes (R, 2028, Ocean City)<ref>[https://capemaycountynj.gov/545/Surrogate Surrogate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917074250/https://capemaycountynj.gov/545/Surrogate |date=September 17, 2021 }}, Cape May County, New Jersey. Accessed September 17, 2021.</ref><ref>[https://coanj.com/member-list/surrogates/ Members List: Surrogates] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917074254/https://coanj.com/member-list/surrogates/ |date=September 17, 2021 }}, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed September 17, 2021.</ref>
|}

The Cape May County Prosecutor is Jeffrey H. Sutherland, who was appointed to the position by [[Governor of New Jersey]] [[Chris Christie]] and sworn into office on December 21, 2017.<ref>[http://www.cmcpros.net/about-us/ About Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027025837/http://www.cmcpros.net/about-us/ |date=October 27, 2017 }}, Cape May Office of the Prosecutor. Accessed February 17, 2018. "Our current County Prosecutor, Jeffrey H. Sutherland, was sworn into office on December 21st, 2017 as appointed by Governor Chris Christie."</ref> Cape May County, along with [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic County]], is part of Vicinage 1 of [[New Jersey Superior Court]]. [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic County]] has a civil courthouse in [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]], while criminal cases are heard in [[Mays Landing, New Jersey|Mays Landing]]; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 1 is Julio L. Mendez.<ref>[https://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/courts/vicinages/atlcm.html Atlantic/Cape May Counties] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010211453/https://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/courts/vicinages/atlcm.html |date=October 10, 2017 }}, New Jersey Courts. Accessed October 23, 2017.</ref>

===Law Enforcement===
The current [[Sheriffs in the United States|county sheriff]] is Bob Nolan, elected in 2017 after working in the sheriff's office for 30 years, most recently as [[undersheriff]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Donald Wittkowski|title=Nolan Wins as CMC Sheriff; Morey, Pierson Win in CMC Freeholder Race; Van Drew in Senate|newspaper=OCNJDaily|date=November 8, 2017|access-date=April 19, 2018|url=http://ocnjdaily.com/nolan-wins-as-cmc-sheriff-morey-pierson-win-in-cmc-freeholder-race-van-drew-in-senate/}}</ref> The first county sheriff was Benjamin Godfrey in 1692. Aside from maintaining law and order, the sheriff's responsibilities include the sale of property, overseeing the corrections facility, transporting of jurors, and collecting court-ordered judgments. The first county jail was built in 1705 in Middle Township, and the current jail was built in 1977.<ref>{{cite web|date=August 30, 2017|title=History of the Sheriff's Office|publisher=Cape May County Sheriff's Office|access-date=April 19, 2018|url=http://www.cmcsheriff.net/history.html|archive-date=April 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420074048/http://www.cmcsheriff.net/history.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A new facility is scheduled to be completed in August 2018, at the cost of $37 million.<ref>{{cite news|author=Al Campbell|newspaper=Cape May County Herald|access-date=April 19, 2018|date=February 18, 2018|title=Jail's Price Tag Now $38.5 Million; Inmates Could Have Grabbed Sprinklers|url=http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/news/government/article_ff37629e-14b0-11e8-98ff-6b7256329dbd.html|archive-date=October 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007064505/https://www.capemaycountyherald.com/news/government/article_ff37629e-14b0-11e8-98ff-6b7256329dbd.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=John DeRosier|title=Cape May County set to unveil new, state-of-the-art jail|date=April 27, 2018|newspaper=Press of Atlantic City|access-date=July 15, 2018|url=https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/cape_may/cape-may-county-set-to-unveil-new-state-of-the/article_7743a79e-600a-566b-8532-ef96f2b54a69.html|archive-date=July 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716055448/https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/cape_may/cape-may-county-set-to-unveil-new-state-of-the/article_7743a79e-600a-566b-8532-ef96f2b54a69.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Al Campbell|date=May 25, 2018|access-date=July 15, 2018|title=Jail Project Adds $500,000; Work Extended 159 Days|newspaper=Cape May County Herald|url=http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/news/government/article_62ac78b2-6026-11e8-920d-c7f0ee65be5b.html|archive-date=May 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528220611/https://www.capemaycountyherald.com/news/government/article_62ac78b2-6026-11e8-920d-c7f0ee65be5b.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2015, Cape May County had 3,332 criminal offenses, the fifth fewest of any county in New Jersey. This represented a crime rate of 35.1 offenses per 1,000 people, and a violent crime rate of 4.7 offenses per 1,000 people.<ref>{{cite news|date=May 2, 2017|title=Where does crime happen in N.J.? A county-by-county look|author=S.P. Sullivan|work=NJ.com|access-date=April 19, 2018|url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2017/05/heres_where_crime_happens_in_new_jersey.html?ath=9c46bfc08d76232bb5a5e00eeaf0bfa2|archive-date=April 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420012550/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2017/05/heres_where_crime_happens_in_new_jersey.html?ath=9c46bfc08d76232bb5a5e00eeaf0bfa2|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Federal representatives ===
The 2nd Congressional District covers all of Cape May County.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/leg-cong-district-info/2012-congressional-districts-by-county.pdf 2012 Congressional Districts by County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120526005115/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/leg-cong-district-info/2012-congressional-districts-by-county.pdf |date=May 26, 2012 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections. Accessed October 3, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-congressional-districts/njcd-2011-plan-components-county-mcd.pdf Plan Components Report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204063248/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-congressional-districts/njcd-2011-plan-components-county-mcd.pdf |date=December 4, 2013 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 23, 2011. Accessed October 3, 2013.</ref> {{NJ Congress 02}}

=== State representatives ===
The county lies entirely within the 1st Legislative District.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/leg-cong-district-info/2011-legislative-districts-by-county-062311.pdf 2011 Legislative Districts by County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120526004842/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/leg-cong-district-info/2011-legislative-districts-by-county-062311.pdf |date=May 26, 2012 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]], Division of Elections, June 2011. Accessed July 18, 2013.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!District
!Senate<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=New Jersey Legislature - Legislative Roster|url=https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp|access-date=June 16, 2021|website=www.njleg.state.nj.us|archive-date=March 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190318205147/https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp|url-status=live}}</ref>
!Assembly<ref name=":0" />
!Notes
|-
|[[New Jersey's 1st legislative district|1st]]
|[[Mike Testa]] [[Republican Party (United States)|(R)]]
|[[Antwan McClellan]] (R)
[[Erik K. Simonsen]] (R)
|The remainder of this district covers portions of Atlantic County and Cumberland County.
|}