By MADDY VITALE
Ocean City’s First Ward voters spoke. City Councilman Terry Crowley Jr., who was appointed to fill an unexpired term, handily won the seat by a wide margin Tuesday night.
Crowley, who was unanimously appointed by Council in August, was challenged by longtime residents Donna Swan DeRocher and Donna Moore.
In unofficial vote totals, Crowley received 682 votes. Moore 399 and DeRocher 155.
Crowley and his wife, Jennifer, and their son, Ian, 15, were joined by friends and supporters at the VFW Post 6650 while awaiting the election results. The Crowley’s other son, Tripp, 18, could not attend because he was away at college.
When the results were in, Crowley said he was humbled and “thankful to the people of the First Ward and all of Ocean City.”
The First Ward encompasses the area from the Ocean City-Longport Bridge to the north side of 4th Street.
“I am excited to represent them. I take it very seriously,” Crowley said.
Crowley thanked his family, fellow Council members, whom he said were “very kind” to him during the time he has served in his appointed position on Council.
Jennifer Crowley said the family is “so proud of him.”
“He is the rock of our family,” she said. “There is no doubt he will do what is right for the First Ward citizens.”
Crowley said that in the couple of months he has been on Council, he has learned a lot and looks forward to learning much more and sharing what he thinks would benefit the residents.
“I’ve learned on the job,” he noted. “All of the Council members are unique and have different strengths that they bring to the table.”
Crowley said there are specific areas he wanted to concentrate on making better, especially “back bay dredging for boaters and fishermen,” continued work on drainage projects throughout the ward and the city and “to protect the taxpayers and listen to their concerns.”
He added that the city has just come off of one of the busiest summer seasons in years, and he wants to continue the momentum for further success in tourism for the summer of 2022.
Crowley will fill the unexpired term of former First Ward Councilman Michael DeVlieger through June 30, 2024. DeVlieger stepped down from Council to concentrate on his workload and family.
As he chatted with Crowley at the VFW, DeVlieger said he has known the Crowley family for a decade, and knew that he would make an “Outstanding Councilman.”
“I am extremely confident that he will continue to be a great representative to the Council and for the City,” DeVlieger said.
City Councilman Tom Rotondi, Councilman Jody Levchuk, City Council President and Bob Barr, and Councilman Keith Hartzell, who is also running for mayor, attended the event.
Levchuk said of Crowley, “We interviewed several people and we felt very comfortable with Terry and have worked very well together. I feel Terry is well-suited for Council. He has a good background. He is good for Ocean City.”
First District Assemblyman Antwan McClellan and Cape May County Commissioner E. Marie Hayes, both from Ocean City, attended Crowley’s election celebration at the VFW.
While Crowley is a newcomer to elected politics, he has served on the city’s Planning Board for five years, an appointed position. Crowley lives on Bay Avenue and is an executive sales representative for the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company. He has lived in Ocean City full time for six years.
In addition to the race for City Council, was the highly contested Board of Education race. Eleven candidates vied for three, three-year seats. One incumbent, Jacqueline McAlister, was returned to the board with 1,295 votes. The top vote-getter was Henry Disston Vanderslice, with 1,809 votes, and another newcomer, Chris Halliday, received 1,484 votes to win a board seat.
McAlister said after her win, “I’d like to thank the families of Ocean City for being so engaged in our schools. There was a great field of candidates running for the board, and I’m very honored to have been chosen by the community. Let’s continue the tradition of excellence in the Ocean City School District.”
The other candidates were incumbent Jim Bauer, incumbent Suzanne Morgan, Dale Braun, Conor Fleming, Ryan Leonard, Liz Nicoletti, Catherine Panico and Robin Shaffer.
