Gillian Claims Victory In 2026 Ocean City Municipal Election: Unofficial Results

Last updated at 9:56 p.m. Tuesday

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Incumbent Mayor Jay Gillian claimed victory in the 2026 election and will serve another term.

This will be Gillian's fifth term as mayor.

"Ocean City is a wonderful place to live, work and play, and I'm looking forward to continuing our mission to make it even better for generation generations to come," Gillian said on social media Tuesday night.

There was a 48.86 percent voter turnout, according to the Cape May County Clerk's Office.

Also leading in votes for the City Council election are incumbents Sean Barnes and Tony Polcini, along with newcomer Jim Kelly.

Check back with Patch for the latest updates. Note that all results are unofficial until certified by the Cape May County Clerk's Office.

Mayor

• Jay Gillian: 1,981 votes
• Pete Madden: 939 votes
• Keith Hartzell: 1,682 votes

City Council (Vote three)

• Jocelyn Palaganas: 2,270 votes
• Jim Kelly: 2,778 votes
• Sean Barnes: 2,942 votes
• Tony Polcini: 2,627 votes