Elections

A Democratic fundraising advantage in a Republican county. A sheriff’s challenger reporting more money raised while the incumbent holds more cash. An independent campaign in a heavily Democratic corner of the state.

Those are some of the patterns that emerge when New Jersey’s county races are viewed through the records in Public Record NJ’s new Data section. Campaign-finance reports show the resources candidates and committees disclose. Voter registration describes the electorate. Recent election results provide additional political context.

Read together, the records highlight several county races where the numbers tell different stories. County party committee filings add another layer of context about the resources available to the broader local organizations, although those totals are not specific to any one race.

Here are five to follow ahead of November.

Mail-in ballots for New Jersey’s June primary traveled hundreds of miles off course before the problem was detected, according to a federal audit that identified a gap in how the U.S. Postal Service tracks pallets of ballots moving through its network.

The limited review documented a handling and tracking failure after the ballots entered the postal network in Trenton but did not establish an effect on the primary result. Federal auditors recommended continuous tracking of entire ballot-mail pallets, a change relevant to New Jersey voters preparing to vote by mail in the November 3 general election.

The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General issued its final audit report on September 4. The report examines election-mail operations during the 2026 primaries and describes separate corrective actions the U.S. Postal Service scheduled before November.

UPDATE, OCT. 17, 2026, 8 P.M.: Compared with the county’s official list dated September 1, four names in our original list are absent and are now shown with a strikethrough below. The county list does not label them as withdrawn or explain their absence. We also added David Hauss, moved Anna Arcaro to the Upper Freehold Township contest, and corrected candidate names and ballot slogans to match that list.

The field is officially set for the November 2026 school board elections across Monmouth County.

Following the July filing deadline, Public Record NJ obtained the official list of candidates from the Monmouth County Clerk. The list includes every candidate who filed to run for a local board of education seat, along with the ballot slogan submitted with their nominating petition, where applicable, and each candidate's municipality of residence.

School board elections have taken on increased importance in recent years as districts across New Jersey grapple with declining enrollment, budget pressures, facility planning, curriculum debates, and state funding. In Monmouth County, several districts are also navigating major issues that could shape the direction of local education for years to come.

Below is the complete list of candidates organized by municipality and school district.