DiMaso Concedes As She Loses NJ 13 Primary To Party Candidates

Updated at 11:13 p.m. MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — In a bold attempt to take on the Monmouth County Republican Party, Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso lost the fight on Tuesday.

With 97 percent of the vote in, the Associated Press projected DiMaso as losing the three-way Republican primary for the NJ 13 Assembly seat, with party-backed Gerry Scharfenberger and Vicky Flynn getting the most votes.

DiMaso also conceded the race.

With 162 of 167 precincts reporting, 97 percent of the vote:

• Scharfenberger, Gerry 8,326 36.5%
• Flynn, Vicky 8,208 35.98%
• DiMaso, Serena 6,276 27.51%

Scharfenberger and Flynn will face the two Democrats, Erin Howard and Allison Friedman, in November.

Running off the party line and against the Monmouth County Republican Party proved to be an insurmountable task for DiMaso, although she told Patch she entered Tuesday's race feeling confident and thinking she might win.

DiMaso released a concession statement late Tuesday night, after the votes were counted:

"I am super proud of the race we ran. I stayed positive and worked hard. We fought an uphill battle against the line and sadly lies, and I’m thrilled that more than 6,200 voters had faith in me," she said. "My two terms as Assemblywoman, and my two decades of public service have been a great source of pride and joy for me. I have worked with so many amazing legislators and staff in the Assembly. I cannot thank them and you all for your support you’ve given me."

"While tonight’s outcome wasn’t what we had hoped for, I will continue to spend the next eight months working as hard as always for my constituents. Across the entire state, across both parties' primaries, the real losers are the women of New Jersey who lost multiple experienced representatives," she said.

"Please know I have not given up on politics and I intend to stay involved even after I leave the Assembly. To all those who had faith in me and worked by my side, thank you from the bottoms of my heart. I wish Gerry and Vicky the best of luck in November," said DiMaso.

Flynn said the following of her major victory, winning in her first attempt at a statewide seat:

"I am humbled by the support of the voters of Monmouth County in the GOP primary election and thankful for the support of my family, friends, and loyal supporters who so generously contributed their time and effort to ensure my success," said Flynn. "I am forever grateful for the support of my running mate Gerry Scharfenberger, whose support throughout this election season was immeasurable. Gerry is a tremendous teammate and I am fortunate to have an opportunity to work with him."

"I am committed to working with the Monmouth County GOP Team to make sure our Republican candidates are successful in November so that we can join Jack Ciattarelli in Trenton to make sure our Republican values are well-represented in Trenton. I thank Serena for her years of public service on behalf of our residents."

DiMaso was rejected by the county party and party boss Sheriff Shaun Golden earlier this spring. She then decided to run on her own, asking voters to re-elect her to the NJ 13 Assembly seat she's held since 2018.

DiMaso ran under Phil Rizzo's name at the ballot box. Rizzo also lost to Jack Ciattarelli, getting 64,948 votes to 125,176.

Instead of DiMaso, the Monmouth GOP announced it had selected Holmdel Board of Education president Flynn for the seat.

DiMaso's former ally, Assemblyman Scharfenberger, also sought re-election but he and Flynn both ran with the party's blessing on the party line.

Golden accused DiMaso of unspecified "unethical behavior and missing key votes while on vacation."

This primary caused a huge rift in the Monmouth County Republican Party: GOP stalwarts like Lillian Burry and former Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno supported DiMaso, while the rest of Monmouth's elected officials — they are nearly all Republican — toed the party line and backed Scharfenberger/Flynn.

Both DiMaso and Flynn live in Holmdel; Scharfenberger lives in Middletown and used to be on the Middletown Township Committee. DiMaso is the former Holmdel mayor and a former Monmouth County Commissioner.

The 13th legislative district includes Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Fair Haven, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel, Keansburg, Keyport, Little Silver, Marlboro, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Sea Bright, Rumson and Union Beach. It includes many wealthy towns.

Looking ahead to November:

Legislative district 13 Assembly seats: (chose two)

Scharfenberger (Republican)
Flynn (Republican)
Erin Howard (Democrat)
Allison Friedman (Democrat)

Legislative district 13 state Senate seat: (chose one)
Declan O'Scanlon (Republican)
Vincent "Vinny" Solomeno (Democrat)

Ongoing coverage: Kim Guadagno Endorses Serena DiMaso in NJ 13 Republican Primary (June 4)

NJ 13 Republican Primary: DiMaso Fights For Her Political Life (June 1)

Monmouth County GOP Pulls Support For DiMaso In NJ-13 Race (March 19)

Be the first to know. Sign up to get Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: Carly.baldwin@patch.com