Some surprises as candidates file paperwork for Ocean City election

Ocean City’s municipal election for mayor and City Council promises to have plenty of drama.

Mayor Jay Gillian will have not one, but two, high-profile opponents as he seeks his fifth term.

In the City Council race, there will be four candidates vying for the three at-large seats up for grabs.

Second Ward Councilman Keith Hartzell earlier revealed his plans to run this year against Gillian in what would be a repeat of their 2022 mayoral matchup won by Gillian by 395 votes.

But it a huge surprise, Council Vice President Pete Madden announced Thursday that he is jumping into the mayor’s race, too.

Madden has been a Council member for 12 years, including serving as the governing body’s president for seven years and vice president for two years.

Pointing to his time on Council, Madden said he has the experience and leadership abilities to run the city as mayor.

“This campaign is about leadership, not division. Ocean City deserves a mayor who listens, sets clear expectations, demands accountability, and keeps our city moving forward,” he said in a statement.

    City Council Vice President Pete Madden is running for mayor.
  

Madden announced he is running for mayor on the last day that candidates had to submit their nominating petitions for the May 12 municipal election.

Gillian submitted his nominating petitions on Wednesday, setting the stage for him to seek his fifth, four-year term. He has been mayor since 2010.

“Serving this community has been an honor, and I’m grateful for the trust you’ve place in me. Together, we’ve made real progress and there’s more work ahead. I’m running for re-election to continue building on that momentum – stay focused on the priorities that matter most and keep moving our community forward,” Gillian said in a video posted on his campaign’s Facebook page.

Hartzell also took to Facebook on Wednesday to formally announce his candidacy, although he submitted his nominating petitions last week.

“My mission focuses on meaningful and beneficial change, rooted in compromise and embracing our shared values, traditions, and culture, that makes America’s Greatest Family Resort,” Hartzell said in a campaign video posted on Facebook.

Declining to formally endorse any of the candidates, City Council President Terry Crowley Jr. said he will remain neutral in the mayor’s race.

“I don’t want any type of bad blood,” Crowley said in an interview. “I think that in my role as Council president, it is best to be Switzerland at this time. I think the people of Ocean City will make up their own minds.”

    City Clerk Melissa Rasner and her office will validate the names on the nominating petitions.
  

Thursday was also the deadline for Council candidates to submit their nominating petitions. The three Council at-large seats are for four-year terms.

Incumbents Tony Polcini and Sean Barnes are seeking re-election to a second term. Newcomers Jim Kelly and Jocelyn Palaganas are also running for Council.

Kelly announced his candidacy on Tuesday. He is a member of an advisory subcommittee, formed by Crowley in October, that is studying zoning and development options for the Boardwalk’s commercial zones, including the former Wonderland Pier amusement park site.

Palaganas currently is a member of the Ocean City Board of Education. She said she will remain on the school board during her Council campaign to help with the selection of a new superintendent of schools for Ocean City.

Although he is not endorsing any of the mayoral candidates, Crowley said he is supporting Polcini and Palaganas, who are running as a team.

Candidates need only 50 valid signatures from registered voters in Ocean City to make their nominating petitions official. City Clerk Melissa Rasner said her office will authenticate the names on the petitions.

The candidates and their campaign representatives will be at the City Clerk’s Office on March 6 to determine ballot positions for the election.

Ocean City has the candidates draw plastic Easter eggs in a whimsical way to determine ballot positions. Candidates pull the eggs out of a basket and open them up to reveal a slip of paper with numbers written on them for their ballot positions.