Marty Small declares victory in Atlantic City mayoral race

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Atlantic City’s incumbent mayor declared victory Wednesday in a Democratic primary election conducted almost totally by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic, even before all the votes were counted.

Marty Small cited figures released by the Atlantic County Clerk’s Office that showed him with 62% of the vote, a figure that has held steady since the first batch of votes were counted on election night.

But his main rival, Pamela Thomas-Fields, was not conceding. She said there were about 2,000 votes still to be counted, and her campaign felt it ran a strong get-out-the-vote effort that could overcome that deficit when all ballots are counted.

“We ran an amazing campaign,” she said. “I'm waiting for the final total.”

A third candidate, Jimmy Whitehead, was far behind those two.

“I’m humbled by the outpouring of support in every neighborhood,” Small said Wednesday evening. “This was a mandate and I’m honored and grateful. We’re just getting started.”

Should the numbers stand up, Small will face Republican Tom Forkin, who won his party’s nomination unopposed, in the November general election.

That election will be held amid immense challenges in the seaside resort.

The eventual winner’s tasks include leading the East Coast gambling resort through the coronavirus pandemic that shuttered its casinos for 3 1/2 months and left thousands out of work; healing from a spasm of violence that left stores looted, and turning around a city with a history of corruption so long and colorful that HBO based a hit TV series on it.

The state still has control of most major decisions, competition from casinos in nearby states remains fierce, and it’s anyone’s guess when smoking, drinking and eating bans will be lifted inside the gambling halls.

Small is seeking a one-year term. The former City Council President took over as mayor last October when his predecessor, Frank Gilliam, pleaded guilty to stealing $87,000 from a youth basketball program he founded. Gilliam remains free pending sentencing, which is tentatively scheduled for later this month. Small, 46, served on the City Council since 2003.

Thomas-Fields, 52, is a longtime city worker whose current position is in the planning and economic development department. She formerly ran Main Street Atlantic City, a group devoted to helping the city’s downtown.

Whitehead, 63, is a Navy veteran and humanitarian aid organizer. He held several federal appointments under Republican and Democratic presidents.

On the Republican side, Tom Forkin, 57, is a school teacher and surfing instructor who formerly was the city’s assistant solicitor.

Atlantic City’s voter base is heavily Democratic, and the winner of the Democratic primary has usually gone on to win the November general election. But that’s not always the case; Republican Don Guardian won an unexpected victory in 2013 before losing to Gilliam four years later.

The winner of the November general election would then face a campaign for a full four-year term in Nov. 2021.