Byrne Wins Toms River GOP Council Primary: Unofficial Results

Updated, 10:40 p.m.

TOMS RIVER, NJ — William Byrne, who was a Democrat until early March, has won the Republican primary for the Ward 2 Township Council seat in Toms River, according to unofficial election results.

With 19 of 19 districts reporting Tuesday night, Byrne had 1,409 votes to 923 for Kevin Geoghegan, the former township councilman who also was seeking the Republican nomination to the final year of the unexpired term of the seat held by Daniel Rodrick before Rodrick took office as mayor in January.

The results remain unofficial until they are certified by the Ocean County Clerk's Office later this month.

Byrne would face Susan Payne Gato, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and received 814 votes, according to unofficial results.

Byrne, 82, is Rodrick's handpicked candidate to fill the seat. Geoghegan, 58, was ousted from an at-large seat during the 2023 election. George Lobman, who was appointed in January to fill the seat for 2024, said when he was appointed that he was not seeking re-election.

Byrne's campaign has been run by Rodrick, who collected the signatures on the nominating petition and has sent mailers urging voters to choose Byrne to allow Rodrick to continue his vision for Toms River.

The mailers also attacked Geoghegan, reiterating prior claims that Geoghegan is responsible for overdevelopment in Toms River.

Geoghegan formally challenged Byrne's candidacy in court, alleging Byrne did not meet the deadline to change political parties from Democrat to Republican. Geoghegan's challenge failed.

Geoghegan also has publicly challenged Rodrick on the issue of the township's zoning ordinances regarding houses of worship. Rodrick vehemently opposed the township's decision to reach a settlement with the federal Justice Department that included rescinding a zoning change that required 10 acres of land for a house of worship, reducing it to 2 acres as the zoning had been prior to 2018.

Geoghegan ran for the unexpired term in hopes of curtailing some of Rodrick's actions that require council approval, expressing frustration at Rodrick's moves regarding the police department staffing and the Toms River animal shelter that have drawn public criticism.