Ocean County: "a strong showing this year for the Democratic Party"

The Ocean County Democratic Party selected most of its candidates for state Legislature and the county freeholder board Saturday, a party spokeswoman said. Marta Harrison, chairwoman for the party's candidate recruitment and screening committees, said more than 75 party officials met at the South Toms River Community Center to make the nominations.

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The party selected Marvin Krakower of Jackson and Karleen Spano of Berkeley to run for freeholder. Krakower is executive director of the Freehold Jewish Center and a retired teacher who counsels at-risk youth, Harrison said. He ran for the Assembly in 2005. Spano is a previous freeholder candidate and a member of Berkeley's environmental commission. She works as a customer service representative. In the 30th Legislative District — which includes Lakewood, Jackson, Howell, Plumsted and parts of Monmouth and Burlington counties — the party's nominee for state Senate is Steve Morlino of Howell. Morlino is a health care and educational administrator who ran for state Senate in 2003, according to Harrison.

The party's 30th District Assembly candidates are Jeffrey Williamson, a Lakewood resident who is an inspector for that township, and Sharon Atkinson of New Hanover. Atkinson runs a small farm and masonry business with her husband. The party will run Lavallette Councilwoman Britta Wenzel for state Senate in the 10th District. Wenzel is treasurer for the nonprofit environmental group Save Barnegat Bay.

For Assembly in the 10th District, the Democratic Party has nominated Point Pleasant councilman and retired police officer John Kaklamanis, as well as Toms River resident Carol Armenti. Armenti is founder and executive director of the patient-advocacy group Center for Cervical Health, according to Harrison. And in the 9th District, the party has nominated five-term Pine Beach Mayor Russell K. Corby for state Senate. The party had not yet nominated 9th District Assembly candidates on Saturday, Harrison said. Harrison predicted a strong showing this year for the Democratic Party. "I'm very pleased that we have a strong slate of candidates for both freeholder and legislative races this year," Harrison said. "I think it's going to be a very good year for Democrats. People are ready for change both in our county and nationally."