Assemblywoman Riley wins county clerk race

In an extremely tight race, Assemblywoman Celeste Riley (D., Cumberland) on Tuesday eked out a victory for the position of clerk in Cumberland County, according to unofficial results.

Riley, in her third elected term in the Legislature, had gained a small lead over incumbent Gloria Noto, a Republican.

Noto, of Vineland, has been clerk since 1995 and had never lost an election for the position. She was previously a legal secretary and a one-term freeholder.

Riley joined the Assembly in 2009 to fill an unexpired term left open by Douglas Fisher, who became state agriculture secretary. She chairs the Higher Education Committee.

In addition to serving in the Assembly, Riley is a teacher at the Morris Goodwin School in Greenwich, Cumberland County.

The clerk's salary is about $107,000.