(05/10/06) BAYONNE ? A tight mayoral race in Bayonne has forced a runoff election between incumbent Joe Doria and challenger Patrick Conaghan.

Although Doria received more votes, he did not net the 50 percent plus one needed to declare a victory. Doria says he?s not really surprised by the tight race. According to the mayor, incumbents usually face a tough battle in every election. Conaghan says the runoff isn?t a surprise to him either due to the amount of negative feelings residents have towards Doria.

A key aspect of the runoff election is the votes cast by supporters of third-place candidate Vincent Militello. Many people believe if Militello tells his supporters to vote for Conaghan, he could swing the election in the challenger?s favor. The runoff election will be held June 13.