The County Executive of Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, is the chief officer of the county's executive branch and manages the county business, including implementing policy, administering county services, and directing the executive staff. Executives have overseen the administration of county government since the county adopted the form in 1974. The executive offices are located in Atlantic City.
The executive is elected to a four-year term. Since its first county executive took office in 1975, three individuals have served as the county executive, two of whom have been elected to five or more consecutive terms of office.
, Atlantic County's executive is Republican Dennis Levinson,County Executive, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed January 3, 2026. "County Executive Dennis Levinson is a Ventnor native and a graduate of Atlantic City High School." who was sworn into office for his seventh term in January 2024."Levinson Sworn Into New Term, January 1, 2024", Atlantic County, New Jersey, posted January 4, 2024. "Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson was sworn into office on January 1, 2024 to begin his seventh term by Retired Superior Court Judge Mark Sandson."
History Starting in 1967, the county had been governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, all elected at large, having been reduced from a maximum of 35 members reached in 1966 under a form in which a freeholder represented each municipality.Salmore, Barbara G.; and Salmore, Stephen A. New Jersey Politics and Government: Suburban Politics Comes of Age, p. 214. University of Nebraska Press, 1998. . Accessed February 25, 2018. "By 1912, 12 of the 21 counties with four-fifths of the state's population had 'small boards.' Most of the holdouts were in the south. In the 1950s, there were still more than 20 freeholders in Cumberland and Gloucester and 34 in Atlantic County." Under the pre-1967 system, each municipality had freeholders, but in a manner that gave disproportionate representation to smaller municipalities. Corbin City's 238 residents had two representatives, while Atlantic City, with over 60,000 residents, had four freeholders.Coppa, Frank J. County Government: A Guide to Efficient and Accountable Government, p. 39. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. . Accessed February 27, 2018. "Prior to the reapportionment cases, Atlantic County, New Jersey had a county governing body of thirty-four members. The statute allowed for two members of the county governing body to be elected from Corbin City, which in 1950 had a population of 238, and four to be elected from Atlantic City, which had a 1950 population of 61,657. The residents of Atlantic City were entitled to one member of the county governing body per 15,414 persons, and those in Corbin City to one member per 119 persons."
In 1972, the state passed the Optional County Charter Law, which provided for four different manners in which a county could be governed, including by an executive, an administrator, a board president or a county supervisor.Miller, William. Model County Administrative Codes Under the Optional County Charter Law of New Jersey, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, 1974. Accessed February 27, 2018.Prunetti v. Mercer County Board Of Chosen Freeholders, FindLaw. Accessed February 25, 2018. "In 1972, the Legislature adopted the Optional County Charter Law, providing a county the opportunity to reorganize its form of government into one of four alternative forms: (i) the County Executive Plan; (ii) the County Manager Plan; (iii) the Board President Plan; or (iv) the County Supervisor Plan. See N.J.S.A. 40:41A-1 et seq. Six counties have elected to reorganize their governmental structure pursuant to the Optional Charter Act. They are respectively: Atlantic, Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Mercer and Union Counties. Five of these counties, including Mercer, have opted for the County Executive Plan."
The county established a Charter Study Commission in 1973, recommending the ultimately accepted changes. In November 1974, Atlantic County voters changed the county governmental form under the Optional County Charter Law to the county executive form. The charter provided for an executive directly by the voters and a nine-member Board of County Commissioners, responsible for legislation. The executive is elected to a four-year term, and the commissioners are elected to staggered three-year terms, of which four are elected from the county on an at-large basis, and five commissioners represent equally populated districts.History of County Government, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed February 25, 2018. "In 1967, the State Legislature reduced the large board to a seven person at-large County Board. It remained at that size until 1975, when the new County Charter went into effect.... In 1974, Atlantic County voters passed a public referendum to change the County governmental form under the Optional County Charter Law to the Executive form. The Charter provides for a popularly elected Executive, responsible for the administration of County government, and for a nine-member Freeholder Board, responsible for legislation."
Atlantic County joins Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Mercer counties as one of the five of 21 New Jersey counties with an elected executive.Rinde, Meir. "Explainer: What’s a Freeholder? NJ’s Unusual County Government System", NJ Spotlight, October 27, 2015. Accessed February 25, 2018. "Five counties -- Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Mercer -- opted for popularly elected county executives in addition to freeholder boards."
County executives Charles D. Worthington: 1975–1979 Democrat Charles D. Worthington, the first county executive, took office in 1975 while serving his only term in the New Jersey General Assembly. The incoming freeholder board was dominated by Republicans, who held a 7-2 majority, flipping the 5-2 majority that Democrats had held on the freeholder board in place under the previous form of government.Staff. "Atlantic Swears In Worthington As Its First County Executive", The New York Times, November 11, 1975. "Implementing a new form of government approved last year by the voters, Assemblyman Charles Worthington, Democrat of Atlantic County, was sworn in as the first county executive in Atlantic's history, and an entirely new nine-member Board of Freeholders took over from what had been a board of seven. Mr. Worthington, whose term in the Assembly expires on Dec. 31. will have absolute power of appointments to county posts, with the exception of the Clerk and Solicitor."
Dick Squires: 1980–1999 Richard "Dick" Squires was born in 1932 in Atlantic City and was raised in Egg Harbor Township.Squires, Richard E. "Richard E. Squires / Aviation, Atlantic County and I all grew up together", The Press of Atlantic City, August 12, 2012. Accessed February 27, 2018.
A former Freeholder, Republican Squires defeated Worthington in the 1979 general election. Squires served in office as county executive for 20 years until deciding in 1999 that he would not run for re-election.Edge, Wally. "County Exec job not exactly a stepping stone to higher office", The New York Observer, August 30, 2007. Accessed February 25, 2018. "Republican Richard Squires was elected Atlantic County Executive in 1979 (defeating incumbent Charles Worthington), and held the post until his retirement in 1999." Squires won re-election in 1987, defeating Democrat Mary Haynie in an election focused on plans for the expansion of Atlantic City International Airport."Democrats recapture Hudson", Courier News, November 4, 1987. Accessed February 25, 2018. "In Atlantic County, incumbent Republican Richard Squires defeated Democratic challenger Mary Haynie for a second four-year term. Unofficial returns gave Squires 28,158 votes to 14,631 for Haynie. One of the main issues in the race was the Atlantic City Airport in Pomona, which officials want to expand to include more service to attract more people to the gaming resort."
Dennis Levinson: 2000–present Republican Dennis Levinson was raised in Ventnor City and graduated from Atlantic City High School before earning a bachelor's degree at Glassboro State College (now Rowan University). He taught history for three decades at the Northfield Community Schools.County Executive, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed February 25, 2018. "Levinson was a councilman in the City of Northfield and Atlantic County Freeholder-at-Large. He was chosen by his peers as Freeholder Chairman multiple times. He was elected Atlantic County Executive and re-elected four times."
Before his election to the Board of Freeholders, he served as a Councilmember in Northfield from 1982 to 1986. First elected as a freeholder in an upset over Joe Messick, Levinson was chosen by his peers as Freeholder Chairman six times.Hurley, Harry. "Dennis Levinson seeks his fifth term as Atlantic County executive" , Shore News Today, July 21, 2015. Accessed February 25, 2018. "This week, we shine the spotlight on Republican Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson, who is running for re-election and seeking a fifth term against Democrat James Schroeder, Jr. in the Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2015 general election. Levinson grew-up in Ventnor. He's a graduate of Atlantic City High School and then earned his bachelor of arts degree from Glassboro State College, now known as Rowan University.He went on to work in the Northfield Public Schools District for more than 30 years, arguably becoming the most popular history teacher in the school's history."