The Democratic incumbents on Gloucester County's board of freeholders managed only to eke out a victory yesterday in a county with nearly twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans.
Robert Damminger and Joseph Chila were reelected to the seven-member board, which Democrats have controlled for two decades.
They bested Republicans Ron Brittin and Chris Del Borrello, who opposed a planned light-rail link into the county, and called for cuts in programs and taxes.
Damminger, 52, of West Deptford, won a fifth term on the board and is its deputy director. He has said that the county has done a good job at providing services while keeping taxes stable for nine years.
Chila, 42, the mayor of Woolwich Township, touted the county government's efficiency measures, such consolidating emergency medical services and tax assessments. He did not return calls after the final returns came in last night. Earlier, he had said that the race had been closer than expected.
Nearly 44 percent of the county's registered voters are unaffiliated.
Del Borrello, 25, of Washington Township, said that the tight race indicated that residents "were tired of the people in charge and wanted a fresh start in county government."
He entered the race eight weeks ago when Matt Burns dropped out, and said he felt he could have gotten more traction if he had another month to campaign.
"They haven't seen the last of me," Del Borrello said.
"I can only hope the freeholder board can listen to what we've said and start putting the brakes on county spending," Brittin, 61, of Mantua, said last night. The Democrats' slim victory, he said, indicated that his ticket's message "resonated with the voters."
In another county race, Sheriff Carmel Morina, a Democrat, easily beat Republican Chris Marrero, a retired Pennsauken police officer.
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