TOMS RIVER - It was a good night for the Democratic establishment.

Wyatt Earp, the Ocean County Democratic Chair, was reelected Tuesday night, defeating challenger Alison Miller.

Earp, who has held the post for a little more than 20 years, got about 55 percent of the vote, not an overwhelming percentage, but good enough.

Miller and the Ocean County Democrats for Progress contended that the party leadership had become stale and ineffective.

We will see what comes next, but in an apparent attempt to make peace, the winning candidates thanked the losing slate for a "well run race."

That was nice.

It also seemed to suggest that in a Republican county like Ocean, it doesn't help for Democrats to fight among themselves.