The Ballot Brief
08742

Who is on the ballot in 08742?

Ocean County, NJ

Reported by The Ballot Brief Editorial Team. Updated as public election and video sources change.

Fields below reflect the November 3, 2026 general election ballot as races are certified.

4 races on your November 3 ballot. Jump to:
U.S. Senate1U.S. House1Local2
About this preview
County and municipal contests depend on your exact address — use the address lookup below for the full slate. Every race links to official sources on the New Jersey voter hub.
Sample Ballot Preview

08742 sample ballot preview: statewide, congressional and Ocean County races

U.S. House, New Jersey District 4
2 candidates
Federal ▾
Christopher H. Smith portrait
CH
Christopher H. Smith
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Christopher H. Smith is the sitting U.S. Representative for this district, serving since 1981 as dean of the state's delegation, per the chamber's membership roster and WHYY. He wrote the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and four further anti-trafficking laws, and his Autism CARES bill was signed into law in 2024, per his campaign site. He is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Top Priorities
  • Combating human trafficking
  • Autism and health research programs
  • Opposing offshore wind projects affecting New Jersey ratepayers
Per the campaign site.
Key voting record
Voted yes on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the 2025 tax-and-spending package, which passed the House 218-214 in July 2025. Supported
Voted yes on the Laken Riley Act, expanding federal detention of certain immigrants charged with theft or violent crimes, which passed the House 263-156 in January 2025. Supported
Voted yes on the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2026, which passed the House 231-196 in September 2025. Supported
Campaign siteFull profile
Rachel Peace portrait
RP
Rachel Peace
DEM
Biography
Rachel Peace is a small business owner, single mother, and Ocean County native raising her son in Monmouth County, per WHYY and the New Jersey Globe. She rose through Jersey Shore advocacy for health and nutrition programs, per the New Jersey Globe.
Top Priorities
  • Universal health coverage, paid family leave, and universal pre-K, per WHYY
  • Campaign finance reform, including overturning Citizens United, per WHYY
  • Coastal resilience and accountability for Shore flooding, per her campaign site
Campaign siteFull profile
About this race
New Jersey fields are from the Division of Elections' Official List of general-election candidates, certified July 27, 2026.
U.S. Senate
4 candidates
Federal ▾
Cory Booker portrait
CB
Cory Booker
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Cory Booker is New Jersey's incumbent U.S. senator and the Democratic nominee for a third full term in 2026. The former mayor of Newark, he has served in the Senate since 2013 and set the record for the longest Senate floor speech in 2025 protesting administration policy. His work centers on justice reform, economic opportunity, health care, and defending democratic institutions.
Top Priorities
  • Lower health care and living costs for New Jersey families
  • Advance criminal justice reform and economic opportunity
  • Defend democratic institutions and civil rights
Campaign Finance
$32,267,998 raised · top industries: Small-dollar donors under $200 (50% of receipts), Large donors giving $2,000+ (28% of receipts)
Key voting record
Opposed Laken Riley Act as one of nine Senate votes against it, saying it would expand mandatory detention of people not convicted of crimes and invite profiling of immigrant communities. Opposed
Opposed Republican stopgap funding measure during the government shutdown that began , holding out for an extension of Affordable Care Act health insurance tax credits. Opposed
Campaign siteFull profile
Justin Murphy portrait
JM
Justin Murphy
REP
Biography
Justin Murphy is the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, a self-employed small business owner from Tabernacle in Burlington County's Pine Barrens, per his campaign site and the New Jersey Globe. He served four years in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Comte De Grasse, including six months in the Persian Gulf, per WHYY, and served one term on the Tabernacle Township Committee after his 2000 election, per the New Jersey Globe. He won the four-way June nomination with about a third of the vote.
Top Priorities
  • Replace the tax code with a flat income tax
  • Expand parental rights and school choice
  • Increase domestic energy production, including nuclear power
Campaign siteFull profile
Veronica Fernandez portrait
VF
Veronica Fernandez
Biography
Veronica Fernandez is an independent candidate for U.S. Senate from New Jersey, running under the slogan "End the Corruption." A lifelong New Jersey resident, Fernandez co-owns a small commercial electrical contracting business with her husband, according to the campaign site. Fernandez's platform centers on campaign finance reform, affordability and answering to constituents rather than party leadership.
Top Priorities
  • Campaign finance reform, opposing the influence of big donors and special interests
  • Making it more affordable to own a home, raise a family and access healthcare
  • Answering to constituents rather than party leadership or donors
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
JK
Joanne Kuniansky
Biography
Joanne Kuniansky is the Socialist Workers Party nominee for U.S. Senate from New Jersey. Kuniansky joined the Socialist Workers Party in 1977 and has worked in oil refineries, railroads, meatpacking and as a Walmart deli worker, according to Insider NJ. Kuniansky submitted 3,000 petition signatures to qualify for the ballot and has run for New Jersey governor and U.S. Senate in earlier cycles, per The Militant. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Top Priorities
  • Breaking from the Democratic and Republican parties to build independent working-class political action
Full profile

Countywide races in Ocean County

ZIP 08742 sits in Ocean County, per the Census crosswalk. These seats are voted countywide; district seats, city races and school boards need a street address. All Ocean County races (2).

Ocean County Commissioner
2 candidates
County ▾
FS
Frank Sadeghi
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Frank Sadeghi is a certified municipal and professional engineer who owns Morgan Engineering and Arya Properties in Ocean County, per his campaign site. He holds a bachelor's degree from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a master's degree in city and regional planning from Rutgers University, per his campaign site. He currently serves as Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, per the county clerk's elected officials roster.
Top Priorities
  • Balancing land preservation with smart growth
  • Investing in infrastructure and education
  • Keeping communities affordable and safe while making county government more accountable and transparent
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
KC
Kia C. Phua
DEM
Biography
Kia C. Phua has worked as an MTA NYC Transit train operator for 23 years and served as a union representative for Transport Workers Union Local 100 from 2011 to 2018, per the New Jersey Globe. He was elected in May 2025 to represent Ocean County Democrats on the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, per the New Jersey Globe.
Top Priorities
  • Transparency in county government
  • Smart growth for the county
  • Putting residents first
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
About this race
One seat (the Director's seat, held by Frank Sadeghi) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot; per the Ocean County Clerk's official roster of elected officials, this is the only county commissioner term expiring in 2026. Sadeghi is unopposed within his party and faces Democrat Kia C. Phua in November; the county clerk and sheriff, both re-elected in prior cycles, and the surrogate are not up in 2026, per the Ocean County Clerk's 2026 Ocean County & Municipal Elected Officials roster.
Lakewood Township Committee
4 candidates
County ▾
DF
Deborah Fuentes
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Deborah Fuentes is the incumbent Lakewood Township Committeewoman, per the county clerk's elected officials roster. She and running mate Moshe B. Raitzik were endorsed by the Lakewood Vaad, a coalition of Orthodox Jewish community leaders, in the June 2026 Republican primary, per the New Jersey Globe. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Deborah Fuentes.
Full profile
MB
Moshe B. Raitzik
REP
Biography
Moshe B. Raitzik is a Lakewood fire commissioner and former school board member, per the New Jersey Globe. His campaign has focused on traffic congestion, road closures, infrastructure strain and the pace of development in the township, per the New Jersey Globe. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Moshe B. Raitzik.
Top Priorities
  • Addressing traffic congestion and road closures
  • Managing infrastructure strain from development
Per the New Jersey Globe.
Full profile
RC
Raymond Coles
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Raymond Coles is the sitting Mayor of Lakewood Township and has served on its Township Committee since 2001, per a LegiStorm biography. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Raymond Coles.
Full profile
SL
Samantha L. Stokes
DEM
Biography
Samantha L. Stokes appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lakewood Township Committee, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Samantha L. Stokes.
Full profile
About this race
Two seats are on the November 3, 2026 ballot (the terms of incumbent Deborah Fuentes, Republican, and incumbent Mayor Raymond Coles, Democrat, both expire in 2026, per the Ocean County Clerk's elected officials roster). Fuentes and Moshe B. Raitzik advanced from a contested June 2, 2026 Republican primary, defeating activist Aaron Hirsch (Raitzik led with 2,067 votes to Fuentes's 1,627 and Hirsch's 962), per the New Jersey Globe. Republicans currently hold a 3-2 majority on the five-member committee. Lakewood is Ocean County's largest municipality and is included here per the build brief's well-known-city rule.
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Ballot Info Lookup

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Ballot info questions for 08742

Who is running for mayor in 08742?

Mayor races depend on the city tied to your address. Use the full-address lookup, then confirm with your city or county election office.

When is the primary election in this state?

Primary dates vary by state. Use this page's official election links to confirm the next primary deadline for your address.

Can I vote early in 08742?

Early voting rules vary by state and county. Check your official election links for dates, locations, and ID rules.

Where can I see a sample ballot for 08742?

Start with the Ballot Brief lookup results for this ZIP. If you need more district precision, use the Local page with a full address.

Data sources

Where does The Ballot Brief verify ballot info for 08742?

Vote.gov Official federal voter registration and voting information gateway.State election offices Official directory for state election deadlines, ballot rules, and voter resources.Federal Election Commission Federal candidate filings and campaign finance data.Congress.gov members Official congressional member records and identifiers.