Democrats have flipped two Cumberland County Commissioner seats, with John Capizola and Yolanda Garcia Balacki ousting two incumbents, Douglas Albrecht and Victoria Lods, and reducing the Republican majority from 7-0 to 4-3 in just two years.
Capizola was the top vote-getter with 19,926, followed by Garcia Balacki with 19,262; that puts her 132 votes in front of Albrecht, a two-term incumbent. Lods finished fourth with 18,715.
The final count appears to have been completed around 10 PM; earlier this evening, Garcia Balicki led by just 23 votes.
After last week’s election, Albrecht held a 199-vote lead over Garcia Balicki.
Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill carried Cumberland by 2,070 votes, 52%-47%, against Republican Jack Ciattarelli. Four years ago, Ciattarelli prevailed in Cumberland by nineteen points, 59%-40%, against Gov. Phil Murphy. Donald Trump won the county by eleven points in 2024, and by four points in 2020.
This marks a return for Capizola, who was appointed county commissioner in 2023 and then lost his bid for a full term. He also lost in 2024 by 1,131 votes, but his running mate, Robert Austino, who was ousted as sheriff in 2023, unseated Republican Commissioner Joseph Sileo, Jr. by 51 votes.
With Capizola, the Cumberland GOP majority has dropped from 6-1 to 5-2; if Garcia Balicki holds her lead, Republicans would go into 2026 with a 4-3 majority.
Three GOP incumbents are running for re-election in 2026 in a control election.
