Editing Plumsted Township, New Jersey (section)

== Government ==

=== Local government ===
Plumsted Township is governed under the [[Township (New Jersey)|Township]] form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.<ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/inventory_of_municipal_forms_of_government_in_new_jersey.pdf ''Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey''], [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters [[at-large]] in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 103.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=7 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 7. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><ref>Cerra, Michael F. [https://www.njlm.org/809/3982/Forms-of-Govt-Magazine-Article "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask"], [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], March 2007. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref> At an annual reorganization meeting held during the first week of January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor, and appoints from its members a liaison for each of the Township's administrative departments.

{{As of|2025}}, the members of the Plumsted Township Committee are [[Mayor]] Robert W. Bowen ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]], term of office on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2025), [[Deputy mayor]] Herbert F. Marinari (R, term on committee ends 2026; term as deputy mayor ends 2025), Leonard A. Grilletto (R, 2026), James Hagelstein (R, 2027) and Thomas Potter (R, 2027).<ref name=Committee>[https://www.plumsted.org/mayortownship-committee Mayor/Township Committee], Plumsted Township. Accessed February 10, 2025.</ref><ref>[https://www.plumsted.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif4876/f/uploads/2024_1523_adoptbudget.pdf#page=7 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Plumsted Township. Accessed February 10, 2025.</ref><ref name=OceanProfile>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=228 Township of Plumsted], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]]. Accessed February 10, 2025.</ref><ref name=OceanOfficials>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/WebContentFiles/70fc90f8-5e4e-4454-a3c1-8ca3d0911f87.pdf ''2025 Ocean County & Municipal Elected Officials''], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated January 29, 2025. Accessed February 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Ocean2024>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Ocean/122822/web.345435/#/summary 2024 General Election Results November 5, 2024 Official Results], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]], updated November 25, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Ocean2023>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Ocean/119025/web.317647/#/summary General Election Results November 7, 2023 Official Results], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]], updated November 22, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Ocean2022>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/WebContentFiles/9a46d949-75d5-448a-8190-dbcefcb2a739.pdf 2022 General Election Official Results November 8, 2022], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref>

In February 2023, the township council selected Michael Hammerstone to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Thomas Calabrese.<ref>[https://www.plumsted.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif4876/f/minutes/020923_sp_mtg.pdf Plumsted Township Committee Meeting Minutes for February 9, 2023], Plumsted Township. Accessed April 11, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://www.plumsted.org/home/news/new-committeeman New Committeeman], Plumsted Township. Accessed April 11, 2024. "The Plumsted Township Committee elected Michael Hammerstone, Committeeman, at the February 9, Special Meeting. He fills the vacancy left by the resignation of Thomas Calabrese and will serve in that capacity until new elections on November 7."</ref> Hammerstone served on an interim basis until the November 2023 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Ocean2023/>

In April 2019, the Township Committee appointed Leonard A. Grilletto to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Larry Jones until he resigned from office.<ref>[https://issuu.com/micromediapubs/docs/2019-05-18_jt "New Committeeman Sworn In To Plumsted Township Committee"], ''The Jackson Times'', May 18, 2019. Accessed March 3, 2020. "Committeeman Grilletto will serve out former Committeeman Larry Jones term which expires on Jan. 1, 2020. Jones resigned last month. Grilletto was sworn into office during a special meeting held last month."</ref> In the November 2019 general election, Grilletto was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Ocean2019>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Ocean/98863/web/#/summary 2019 General Election Official Results November 5, 2019], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

In November 2014, following the resignation of former mayor David Leutwyler, who accepted a position as the township's community development coordinator, the Township Committee selected Vince Lotito from three names recommended by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat on the committee and chose Jack Trotta to serve as mayor.<ref>Martins, Andrew. [http://tri.gmnews.com/news/2014-11-13/Front_Page/Trotta_named_Plumsted_mayor_Leutwyler_hired_for_ne.html "Trotta named Plumsted mayor; Leutwyler hired for new position"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217052636/http://tri.gmnews.com/news/2014-11-13/Front_Page/Trotta_named_Plumsted_mayor_Leutwyler_hired_for_ne.html |date=2015-02-17 }}, ''Tri-Town News'', November 13, 2014. Accessed January 24, 2015. "Several weeks after Committeeman David Leutwyler, who was serving as Plumsted's mayor in 2014, resigned from the committee, the remaining members of the governing body voted to appoint Committeeman Jack Trotta to the mayor's position.... To that end, the committee has hired Leutwyler to serve as Plumsted's community development coordinator.... With a vacancy on the committee, Plumsted Republican leaders submitted the names of Vince Lotito, Fran Grilletto and Pastor Dominick Cuozzo to replace Leutwyler.The committee members appointed Lotito to the governing body."</ref>

=== Federal, state and county representation ===
Plumsted Township is located in the 4th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2012-congressional-districts/njcd-2011-plan-components-county-mcd.pdf Plan Components Report], [[New Jersey Redistricting Commission]], December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 12th state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2011-legislative-districts/towns-districts.pdf Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District], [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>[https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5bae63366fd2b2e5b9f87e5e/5d30f0a94a82c66427e564d2_2019_CitizensGuide.pdf ''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''], New Jersey [[League of Women Voters]]. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#12 Districts by Number for 2011-2020], [[New Jersey Legislature]]. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>

{{NJ Congress 04}} {{NJ Senate}}

{{NJ Legislative 12}}

{{NJ Ocean County Commissioners}}

===Politics===
As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,979 registered voters in Plumsted Township, of which 816 (16.4%) were registered as [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], 1,537 (30.9%) were registered as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and 2,623 (52.7%) were registered as [[Unaffiliated (New Jersey)|Unaffiliated]]. There were 3 voters registered [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarians]] or [[Green Party (United States)|Greens]].<ref name=VoterRegistration>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2011-ocean-co-summary-report.pdf Voter Registration Summary - Ocean], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 31, 2012.</ref> Among the township's 2010 Census population, 59.1% (vs. 63.2% in Ocean County) were registered to vote, including 80.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 82.6% countywide).<ref name=VoterRegistration/><ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTP7.ST16?slice=GEO~0400000US34 GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 - State -- County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200212202223/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTP7.ST16?slice=GEO~0400000US34 |date=2020-02-12 }}, [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed December 31, 2012.</ref>

In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012 presidential election]], Republican [[Mitt Romney]] received 59.3% of the vote (2,179 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barack Obama]] with 38.9% (1,428 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (67 votes), among the 3,709 ballots cast by the township's 5,262 registered voters (35 ballots were [[Spoilt vote|spoiled]]), for a turnout of 70.5%.<ref name=2012Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-ocean.pdf |title=Presidential General Election Results - November 6, 2012 - Ocean County |date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-ocean.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 6, 2012 - General Election Results - Ocean County|date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2008|2008 presidential election]], Republican [[John McCain]] received 56.7% of the vote (2,192 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 40.7% (1,573 votes) and other candidates with 1.7% (65 votes), among the 3,865 ballots cast by the township's 5,176 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.7%.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2008-gen-elect-presidential-results-ocean.pdf 2008 Presidential General Election Results: Ocean County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed December 31, 2012.</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2004|2004 presidential election]], Republican [[George W. Bush]] received 63.2% of the vote (2,268 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat [[John Kerry]] with 35.2% (1,264 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (43 votes), among the 3,589 ballots cast by the township's 4,812 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 74.6.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2004-presidential_ocean_co_2004_1.26.05.pdf 2004 Presidential Election: Ocean County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed December 31, 2012.</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ Presidential Elections Results
!Year
![[Republican Party (New Jersey)|Republican]]
![[Democratic Party (New Jersey)|Democratic]]
![[Third Party (United States)|Third Parties]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2024 United States presidential election in New Jersey|2024]]<ref name="2024Elections">{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2024/2024-official-general-results-president-ocean.pdf|title=Presidential General Election Results - November 5, 2024 - Ocean County|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections|access-date=December 31, 2024}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''69.3%''' ''3,643''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|28.6%  ''1,502''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |2.1% ''96''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2020|2020]]<ref name="2020Elections">{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2020/2020-official-general-results-president-ocean.pdf|title=Presidential General Election Results - November 3, 2020 - Ocean County|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections|access-date=December 31, 2020}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''66.7%''' ''3,159''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|31.0%  ''1,468''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |3.3% ''98''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2016|2016]]<ref name="2016Elections">{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2016/2016-gen-elect-presidential-results-ocean.pdf|title=Presidential General Election Results - November 8, 2016 - Ocean County|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections|access-date=December 31, 2017}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''68.1%''' ''2,683''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|27.2% ''1,072''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |4.7% ''184''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012]]<ref name=2012Elections/>'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''59.3%''' ''2,179''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|38.9%  ''1,428''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.8% ''67''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2008|2008]]'''<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2008-gen-elect-presidential-results-ocean.pdf 2008 Presidential General Election Results: Ocean County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed December 24, 2012.</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''56.7%''' ''2,192''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|40.7%  ''1,573''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.7% ''65''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2004|2004]]'''<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2004-presidential_ocean_co_2004_1.26.05.pdf 2004 Presidential Election: Ocean County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed December 24, 2012.</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''63.2%''' ''2,268''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|35.2%   ''1,264''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |0.9% ''43''
|-
|}

In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013|2013 gubernatorial election]], Republican [[Chris Christie]] received 75.9% of the vote (1,828 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barbara Buono]] with 21.9% (528 votes), and other candidates with 2.1% (51 votes), among the 2,459 ballots cast by the township's 5,219 registered voters (52 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.1%.<ref name=2013Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-ocean.pdf |title=Governor - Ocean County |date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-ballotscast-ocean.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 5, 2013 - General Election Results - Ocean County|date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009|2009 gubernatorial election]], Republican Chris Christie received 70.2% of the vote (1,917 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat [[Jon Corzine]] with 22.5% (615 votes), Independent [[Chris Daggett]] with 4.6% (125 votes) and other candidates with 1.6% (44 votes), among the 2,732 ballots cast by the township's 5,075 registered voters, yielding a 53.8% turnout.<ref>[http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-ocean.pdf 2009 Governor: Ocean County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017230602/http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-ocean.pdf |date=2012-10-17 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed December 31, 2012.</ref>