With a final tally posted by Cape May County officials Wednesday, 3rd Ward Ocean City Council incumbent Jody Levchuk held his razor-thin margin over challenger Amie Vaules at 402 votes to 400.
A week after the Ocean City municipal election, the winner of the 3rd Ward City Council race remains an open question, too close to call until results are certified Wednesday.
Ocean City voters favored newcomer Sean Barnes over former Council member Michael DeVlieger in Tuesday’s City Council election, at 1,778 to 1,261, according to a tally released by the city.
While some towns have a brawling political style, Ocean City tends to keep on the kid gloves even in hotly contested races. That changed Monday, when a candidate accused members of council by name of being pawns of the mayor and the mayor of being indebted to developers.
A crowded field for the May 14 election could reshape the balance of power in Ocean City, with five of seven seats on City Council up for a vote. It’s a nonpartisan election, and each of the candidates is running an independent campaign, but clear lines have emerged in the contested races.