Somerset GOP Chairman Al Gaburo said he is confident that a tally of vote by mail and provisional ballots will give his candidate victory in the unresolved Somerset County Freeholder race.

“Gov. Phil Murphy -who just announced the race for Democrats in Somerset – is wrong,” said Gaburo. “All I can tell you is the governor just left a quick presser and said, ‘Oh they just called it in Somerset.’ It’s just not true. When you hear the number of ballots counted, especially the number of provisional ballots, I dont know where his math comes from, but there will be more than enough for [Republican Freeholder] Pat Walsh to win.”

Somerset County Democratic Chair Peg Schaffer said she was with the governor at the press confernece and did not hear him say the race is over.

“He said NJ.com called it,” Schaffer told InsiderNJ.

The chair told InsiderNJ Democrats are not prepared to call the race in favor of Melonie Marano, but she did say she is confident the final tally will likely catapult Marano into the chair Walsh now occupies.

Earlier today, Somerset County Clerk Steve Peter said, “Melonie is ahead by 322 votes. Provisional ballots and VBM ballots received by tomorrow evening will be counted on Tuesday.”