BRICK TOWNSHIP, NJ – Brick Township Mayor John Ducey, who led the Democrat Party to victory ten years ago in one of New Jersey’s most Republican-leaning towns has resigned. Ducey will be now become a New Jersey Superior Court Judge.
The township council is expected to select an interim mayor as early as this week.
Ducey and his team seized upon multiple failures by an incompetent Republican club. In Ducey’s exit, that club is seeking to return to power this November, led by a political lackey, New Jersey Assemblyman John Catalano, a hold-over from the early days of the administration of former Brick Mayor Steven Acropolis.
Ducey was nominated to the bench by Governor Phil Murphy on January 30th. He was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.
The “Ducey Team” has been the only successful team to win elections for Democrats in Ocean County and this year, they will have to do it without Ducey.
Republicans led by Chairman George Gilmore during his political revival tour are hoping they can win the mayor seat in November, but it’s a hard sell for GOP shy Brick residents who rejected Republican leadership in favor of Ducey and his allies for the past decade.
Ducey was a well-liked mayor and well-respected by residents on both sides of the aisle.
The council will choose an interim mayor and serve until December 23, 2023. In November, a special election will be held to fill the position through 2025.
Republicans in Ocean County are embroiled in a civil war that could hurt Catalano’s chances of winning in November. Catalano serves in the New Jersey Assembly where he has been largely ineffective at getting any legislation through the Democrat-controlled body.