Burlington County primary election contested races for Democrats, Republicans
MOUNT HOLLY TWP. – The Burlington County primary elections on June 7 offer intra-party showdowns for county commissioner on both the Democratic and Republican sides, with an undercard event pitting two Democrats against each other to run for sheriff this fall.
The Board of Commissioners contest has an added wrinkle — very recently ended litigation over the legality of Democrats appointing Allison Eckel in April to fill an unexpired term. The appointment did not follow a statutory timeline, but a state Superior Court judge ruled in late May that she could keep the position anyway.
Eckel replaced Democratic Commissioner Linda Hynes, who resigned in January to become a New Jersey Superior Court judge. The county commissioners board has five members, and Eckel is the only one facing voters this year.
A Medford resident, her past political office experience is as a Lenape Regional High School District Board of Education member. Eckel also had an unsuccessful 2021 run for office in the General Assembly 8th District campaign. She works in marketing for the Garden State Council of Boy Scouts of America.
The U.S. Army awarded her its Commanders Medal for assistance to military families. As a county commissioner, her department assignments are in public safety, military affairs, and social services.
In the primary, Eckel is the party nominee but is challenged by longtime Mount Holly Mayor Jason Jones.
Republican voters also will have two commissioner candidates to weigh. The party nominee is Jeff Fortune, a Moorestown resident, small business owner, and former school board member.
Real estate agent Valerie “Val” Gallagher is running against Fortune as a member of the Conservative Burlington County Republicans. It is her first run for political office. The organization’s ticket includes Ian Smith, a candidate for the Congress in the 3rd District.
Gallagher, also of Moorestown, describes herself as a conservative energized by disagreement with the last two years of government bureaucratic mandates. She has a strong interest in children’s education, in particular opposing the direction New Jersey is taking on sexual instruction curriculum for young children in public schools.
Fortune is a former school board member in Monroe Township, Camden County. He owns LRC Service Inc., a company that partners with the City of Philadelphia to provide jobs for former prisoners.
For sheriff, Republicans nominated Sheriff’s Department Lt. Mike Ditzel of Medford Lakes. He is unopposed in the primary.
Ditzel, a U.S. Coast guard veteran, was an appointed undersheriff under former Republican Sheriff Jean Stanfield, who now is a state senator. He ran to replace her in 2019 but lost to Democrat Anthony Basantis, who is not seeking a second term.
Ditzel runs the department Fugitive Unit. He also started and leads the Hope One Mobile Unit, an addiction treatment program. He promises more outreach programs when in office.
The two Democratic candidates for sheriff are the department’s current undersheriff, James H. Kostoplis of Bordentown and Glynn “Lee” Eckart of Mount Holly Township.
Kostoplis is making his third try for sheriff, having lost against Stanfield in 2013 and in 2016.
He is a former Bergen County sheriff’s officer but is retired from the Hamilton Township Police Department. He was part of the search and recovery task force after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City.
Kostoplis promises expanded services for senior citizens and youths.
How to vote in the primary election:
Early voting will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 3, and Saturday, June 4. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 5
On Primary Election Day, June 7, vote in person on a voting machine at your neighborhood polling location. Polling locations open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Find your polling location here.
Drop your vote-by-mail ballot in a secure drop box or at your county's elections office by 8 p.m. on Primary Day. Ballots sent through the mail must be post-marked by 8 p.m. on Election Day and make it to the county elections offices by six days after the primary.
Find your county's drop boxes here. (https://nj.gov/state/elections/vote-secure-drop-boxes.shtml)
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Help support local journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Burlington County Times: Primary contests for Burlington County commissioner, sheriff
