Gillian, Hartzell both in; Sean Barnes, Jim Kelly have filed for City Council
OCEAN CITY – Mayor Jay Gillian turned in his nominating papers to the Ocean City Clerk’s office Wednesday afternoon to make his bid for a fifth term official.
He will be facing Second Ward Councilman Keith Hartzell, who has turned in his papers and formally announced his second run for mayor via social media on Wednesday afternoon.
Hartzell, a long-serving councilman, unsuccessfully challenged Gillian in the 2022 election, giving up his council seat, then was elected in 2024 to represent the Second Ward.
There could be a third candidate.
Ocean City Council Vice President Pete Madden hasn’t turned in his nominating papers, but confirmed Wednesday afternoon that he is still deciding whether he will seek another term on council or try his own run for mayor.
Madden, a former council president, is an at-large councilman.
He told the Sentinel late Wednesday afternoon that he had not decided which office to seek, and that he had until 4 p.m. Thursday. Madden said he was still mulling his options.
Madden was elected in 2014 with Hartzell and Michael Allegretto.
He was re-elected in 2018 and then re-elected again in 2022, earning the third-highest vote tally, 1,991, in a field of six candidates. Karen Bergman received the most votes that year, 2,328 and Tony Polcini 2,020. Bergman left council to work for the city Senior Center.
Polcini announced earlier this year that he was not running for re-election, but may be reconsidering. He had taken out nomination papers, but had not turned them in Wednesday afternoon.
No one else had turned in papers to run for mayor, but there is still time.
Kelly, Barnes turn in papers
At-large Councilman Sean Barnes turned in his nominating papers Wednesday to seek re-election.
Jim Kelly, who was a member of the Ocean City 2050 advocacy group, also filed his papers to run for council.
Kelly is a frequent commenter at City Council meetings regarding the future of the Wonderland Pier amusement park site. Council President Terry Crowley Jr. named him to the Boardwalk Subcommittee, which is studying zoning on the boardwalk.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no other candidates for council or mayor had filed papers.
There are three at-large seats up for grabs in the May election. The incumbents are Barnes, Madden and Polcini.
– By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff