Somers PointNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Somers Point City Council Election 2026

2 of 7 council seats are on the ballot, with 4 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Not sure who to vote for? Answer 3 questions and see which candidates agree with you, and why.

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Early voting begins (Oct 24): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Voters in each ward choose one council member for that ward's seat; the Ward 1 and Ward 2 contests are separate.

Early voting begins · Oct 24

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

  • U.S. Senate
    • Cory Booker · Democratic
    • Justin Murphy · Republican
    • Veronica Fernandez · End the Corruption!
    • Joanne Kuniansky · Socialist Workers Party
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. HouseDistrict 2
Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

What the next council decides

01Bay Avenue development and parking4 sourced facts

Where it standsIn July 2026 the council defeated an ordinance on parking in city lots and one on a waterfront-zone harborwalk requirement, and scheduled a public conversation on Bay Avenue.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide whether city-owned parking lots can serve new commercial development and what the waterfront zone requires.

0290 Broadway redevelopment3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council approved a first amendment to the 90 Broadway redevelopment agreement in March 2026, and residents have spoken against the project at council meetings.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee the redeveloper agreement and any further changes to the plan.

03Hotel and motel tax revenue3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council adopted an ordinance in April 2026 on how hotel and motel occupancy tax revenue is used.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide each year how much of the revenue goes to the Economic Development Advisory Committee.

04Municipal budget and taxes2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe 2026 budget was introduced in March 2026 with an approximate 3.6 cent tax increase, and the council adopted an ordinance to exceed the spending cap.

What's on the tableThe next council will adopt the 2027 budget and decide whether to use the cap exception again.

05Short-term rentals2 sourced facts

Where it standsIn June 2025 the council raised the minimum stay for short-term rentals from three to seven nights, effective Dec. 31, 2025.

What's on the tableThe next council will decide whether to keep, change or enforce the short-term rental rules.

1 note on these statements

Michael Owen is a former Ward 2 councilman, not the current officeholder; Richard L. DePamphilis III is the incumbent in Ward 1. Ocean City Sentinel

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should the city let new Bay Avenue businesses use city-owned parking lots to meet their parking requirements?

  2. 2. Who should control hotel and motel tax revenue?

  3. 3. What should the minimum stay for short-term rentals be?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted5 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Somers Point is runWho runs Somers Point, and what it costsWho the city manager is, council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.

Key dates

The seat math

5 stay (not up this year): Howard Dill, Kirk Gerety, Janice Johnston, Sean McGuigan, Morgan Slaughter2 on this ballot

7 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

  • The City Council consists of seven members: three from each of two wards, elected for staggered three-year terms, and one at large, elected every four years. City of Somers Point
  • The mayor is elected to a four-year term, is not a member of the governing body, and may vote in the event of a tie. City of Somers Point
  • The Council elects one of its members as President to chair the Council meetings. City of Somers Point

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