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February 17, 2026

Pancoast, Nappen win GOP primary in Upper Township

UPPER TOWNSHIP – Incumbent Mark Pancoast and political newcomer Victor Nappen, his running mate, won the Republican Primary for two spots on the ballot for Upper Township Committee in the November election.

Pancoast, who was elected to a one-year term in November 2021, received 1,031 votes and Nappen got 1,065.

Anthony Inserra, a former member of Upper Township Committee, finished third with 624 votes.

For Cape May County Commissioner, incumbent E. Marie Hayes and Andrew J. Bulakowski ran unopposed in the GOP primary. Hayes received 7,464 votes and Bulakowski got 7,359.

Only one Democrat ran in the primary, Julia L. Hankerson. She received 3,375 votes.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew easily outdistanced the GOP primary field. Van Drew, in his second term in Congress, got 7,633 votes in Cape May County. Sean Pignatelli received 691 and John Barker got 274.

Van Drew was supported by all the county GOP organizations and unofficial results had him getting 86.1 percent of the vote throughout the Second Congressional District or around 35,120 votes to Barker’s 3,130.

Tim Alexander, who had the support of the county Democratic organizations, won the Democratic primary in Cape May County with 2,061 votes to 1,572 for Carolyn Rush.

Districtwide, Alexander had about 62 percent of the vote or 16,364 to 10,042 for Rush.

By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff

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