Jay Gillian secured a fifth term as Ocean City mayor in the May 12 election, adding onto his 16-year tenure.
Gillian ran against Second Ward Councilman Keith Hartzell, who lost to him in the 2022 mayoral race, and City Council Vice President Peter Madden, who made his first bid for mayor.
The incumbent received 1,981 votes, followed by Hartzell with 1,642 votes and Madden with 939. Voter turnout was 48.86% of registered voters in the city. All results remain unofficial as of Wednesday night.
After the results were announced, Gillian and his supporters celebrated at The Flanders Hotel.
“I want to thank my family, campaign volunteers and everyone who supported me in this important election,” Gillian said in a statement Tuesday night, 6 ABC Action News reported. “I also want to congratulate Pete and Keith on their well-run campaigns. Now it’s time to bring unity back to the community and get to work. 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 generations to come.”
Gillian, Hartzell and Madden are among the most recognizable figures in Ocean City politics. First elected in 2010, Gillian is the son of Roy Gillian, founder of Wonderland Pier and Ocean City mayor from 1986 to 1990, following a local political career of more than 20 years.
Hartzell has served on City Council since 2006, making him the longest-serving member. He entered the race after narrowly losing to Gillian by roughly 400 votes in 2022 and said he spent months going door-to-door speaking with residents to shape his platform.
He will remain on Council representing the Second Ward, as his seat was not on the ballot this cycle. Hartzell was not immediately available for comment.
Madden has served on the governing body for about 12 years. He will leave City Council on June 30 after choosing to run for mayor instead of seeking re-election to his at-large seat. Madden said the campaign was a meaningful experience despite the loss.
“I really appreciate everyone’s support. The campaign was a great experience and I met a lot of great people during the race. So many of those people gave a tremendous amount of time, effort and energy to help me and help make Ocean City great. I wish Jay and Keith the best of luck going forward,” Madden said in a statement to Shore Local.
Voters also elected Sean Barnes, Jim Kelly and Tony Polcini to the three at-large seats on City Council, while Jocelyn Palaganas came in fourth. Barnes received the most votes with 2,942, followed by Kelly with 2,778 and Polcini with 2,627. Palaganas finished with 2,270 votes.
The results will bring changes to the governing body, including the addition of newcomer Jim Kelly and Madden’s departure, while incumbent Polcini secured a second four-year term and Barnes, first elected in a 2024 special election, emerged as the top vote-getter among council candidates.
Election challenges
This year’s election took place as residents continued to debate what should become of Wonderland Pier, a longtime boardwalk attraction that shuttered in 2024 after facing financial difficulties. In 2021, Eustace Mita, owner of ICONA Resorts, purchased the theme park after it defaulted on an $8 million debt.
Now, Mita is seeking to turn the site into a multistory hotel, an issue that was central in each candidate’s campaign.
Both Hartzell and Madden emphasized the importance of the city’s beach and boardwalk to its identity and economy.
Hartzell has said he supports redevelopment of the site but favors a scaled-down, mixed-use plan preserving boardwalk-style entertainment along the oceanfront with lodging toward the rear.
Meanwhile, Gillian countered criticism from his opponents, pointing to their positions on City Council and involvement in approving city decisions.
“We went out of business, and it’s in the council’s hands. It’s legislative. So to keep coming back at the mayor for this, it’s just a shame. Because this should’ve been taken care of already,” he said, according to 6 ABC Action News.
Gillian also faced scrutiny over his personal finances during the campaign.
He and his wife are working through roughly $6 million in debt after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. Court filings show he owes about $2.5 million to the IRS and the New Jersey Division of Taxation.
Additional records list debts tied to The Patricia Gillian Irrevocable Trust and 1st Bank of Sea Isle City, both of which have filed lawsuits seeking a combined total of about $600,000.
Throughout his campaign, Gillian faced scathing comments and personal attacks on various social media platforms, which he said the election’s outcome showed that Ocean City “does not like hate.” He added that his record led to his fifth consecutive victory.
“I have always run on my record; I never got personal,” Gillian said. “I never went down and dirty and all that kind of stuff, and that’s what everyone thinks you need to get elected. I think Ocean City again has proved [that] if you’re nice and you do the right things, things happen the way that they should.”
Gillian and the newly elected Council members will be sworn into their new four-year terms on July 1.
Julia graduated from Rider University in 2024 with a BA in multiplatform journalism and minor in social media strategies. In addition to reporting on local news for Shore Local, she is a social media strategist for small businesses. Connect with her: shorelocaljulia@gmail.com or @juliatrain on Instagram.
