Lacey Republicans Face Contested Primary

Lacey’s Republican primary will be contested for the first time in several years as three Republicans and two Democrats have filed petitions to run for the two open seats ahead of this year’s township Committee races.

Two seats on the Committee are open this year—those of Democrats Sean Sharkey and Helen DelaCruz. 

DelaCruz filed a petition to run to keep her seat while Sharkey announced in February that he would not be seeking a second term.

Democrat Gary Vaccaro, who ran against current Mayor David Most in 2011, will once again vie for a seat, according to primary candidate filings provided by the township clerk's office. 

While the Democratic primary is not contested, the Republican primary is.

Christopher Reid and Peter Curatolo, backed by the Lacey Republican Club and county party, filed petitions. Additionally, Gregory Pancza will be on the Republican ticket with the slogan “The Time for Change is Now.” 

The 2013 municipal race is an important one to Lacey Democrats, Democratic Municipal Chairman Barry Bendar previously said. A loss would leave a Committee once again dominated by Republicans. Before Sharkey and DelaCruz took office, the last Democrat to sit on the Committee was in 2006 and before that 2000.

The primaries will be held Tuesday, June 4. The deadline for voters to declare a change in party affiliation is Wednesday, April 10, and the deadline to register in order to vote in the primary is Tuesday, May 14.

Independent candidates (as well as school election candidates) have until Tuesday, June 4, to file for the general election.

Those who registered by the 4 p.m. April 1 deadline to run in the June 4 primary are:

• Christopher Reid, 203 Cedar Lake Point, Forked River (Republican)
• Peter Curatolo, 421 Brandywine Ave., Forked River (Republican)
• Gregory Pancza, 1234 Ocean St., Forked River (Republican)
• Helen DelaCruz, 432 Carr St., Forked River (Democrat)
• Gary Vaccaro, 116 Heatherington Ct., Lanoka Harbor (Democrat)

Continue to follow Lacey Patch for more information on the candidates and elections as primaries near.