May 13, 2026
Jon Tuleya/For PhillyVoice
Incumbent Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian won a fifth term during Tuesday's election. One of the biggest campaign issues was the future of the Wonderland Pier site, above.
Jay Gillian will return for a fifth term as Ocean City mayor after winning Tuesday's election.
Gillian received 1,981 votes to defeat City Council members Keith Hartzell with 1,642 votes and Pete Madden with 939 votes, the Press of Atlantic City reported, citing unofficial vote tallies released by the City Clerk's Office. The race largely centered on the fate of the shuttered Wonderland Pier amusement park on the boardwalk.
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"Now it's time to bring unity back to the community and get to work," Gillian wrote in a social media post. "Ocean City is a wonderful place to live, work and play, and I'm looking forward to continuing our mission to make it even better for generations to come."
Gillian was first elected mayor in 2010. During this election cycle, he faced scrutiny about filing for personal bankruptcy earlier this year and about Ocean City's plans for Wonderland Pier, which his family operated for decades before he sold it to Icona Resorts in 2021. Wonderland Pier closed in 2024.
Icona CEO Eustace Mita has proposed building a 252-room luxury hotel on the site, but Ocean City zoning laws do not permit new hotels on the boardwalk. City Council has recommended the pier be turned into a redevelopment zone, which would pave the way for the hotel, but the city's planning board has rejected the recommendation.
Ocean City residents have been divided over whether the plan would boost tourism or too greatly alter the city's family-friendly identity.
The proposal was a hot topic at the mayoral debate last month. Madden was in favor of building the hotel, while Hartzell wanted to wait for a report from an advisory subcommittee on the entire boardwalk's future. Both declined to bring Gillian's personal financial status into the debate.
Gillian hasn't taken a position on the proposal, but he has financial ties to Mita, who holds a mortgage on Gillian's home, the Press of Atlantic City reported.
Incumbent City Council members Sean Barnes and Tony Polcini were also reelected Tuesday, and businessman Jim Kelly won the third open seat.
