Westhampton

Democrats scored a huge upset in Burlington County with the election of George Kotch as Surrogate, by a 51%-49% margin over longtime Freeholder Vincent Farias, but fell about 5,000 votes short of winning two seats on the all-Republican Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Democrats captured two Township Committee seats in Riverside, where Republican Mayor Charles Hilton received national attention for his support of a local ordinance that made it illegal to hire illegal immigrants or rent housing to them. Hilton lost his seat by about 400 votes. In Moorestown, Republican Howard Miller, a Councilman since 1978, lost to Democrat Seth Broder. For the first time in more than two decades, Democrats won a Township Council seat in Mount Laurel; and scored gains in Delanco, Maple Shade, Shamong, Westhampton and Wrightstown.

Republicans won in two heavily Democratic municipalities, capturing five seats (and control) on the Beverly City Council, and two seats on the Easthapton Township Council. The GOP picked up two Township Committee seats in New Hanover.

There is considerable speculation among South Jersey Democratic insiders that Assemblyman Herbert Conaway may get dumped from the Democratic ticket if he seeks re-election to a fifth term next year. Sources say that Conaway has fallen out of favor with key party leaders in Burlington County, and that his refusal to help a resurgence of the local Democratic Party has alienated even some of his longtime supporters. If the Democrats decline to support Conaway's re-election, possible candidates to replace him include: attorney Amy Vasquez, who ran for Congress in 2004 and for Freeholder in 2005; Burlington City Council President Joseph Van Loan; and Sidney Camp of Westhampton.