TOMS RIVER, NJ (OP-ED) – A recent survey allegedly conducted by the Mo Hill campaign to gauge voter opinions in Toms River appears to have backfired for the Toms River mayor. Hill, who got into office in 2019 through the overwhelming support of the Orthodox Jewish bloc vote, is at risk of losing some of those votes to a spoiler candidate, Gerri Ambrosio after he expressed that he wants to move ‘closer to the middle’ in order to win the Republican nomination in six weeks.
Councilman Dan Rodrick, who is the favorite to win the election according to two recent polls taken does not appear to be in the position to benefit from those wandering votes.
The survey, which went out to Orthodox Jewish voters last week to see if they still support the favorable actions of Mo Hill toward the community, crossed the line, many in the community are saying today.
“Mo Hill has been great to our community, but it looks like he is now trying to hide his connection, or is ashamed of that connection, he can’t hide or appear to be ashamed at what he has done for us,” one Jewish community member who wished to remain anonymous told Shore News Network. “It’s ok, we can vote for Gerri Ambrosio then. We’re definitely not voting for Rodrick.”
Since taking office, Hill has eliminated the 10-acre house of worship zoning and set up corridors across Toms River and the barrier island communities to allow homes to be used as houses of worship. He has also changed the tone against illegally operating shuls in Toms River inside town hall. He has laid out the framework for high density apartments and houses of worship in the Downtown Toms River center for future growth. Those actions have caused alarm in the community by those who don’t want to see Toms River turned into a major city.
“Mo Hill has given the Orthodox Jewish community everything they have asked for since taking office,” another GOP insider told Shore
Mo’s vision plan for Toms River has caused him to fall out of favor with the secular community. Hill’s team now realizes they cannot win in June without broad support in the community. At this time, the mayor does not have that broad support. Political insiders told Shore News Network today that Hill intends to launch a media smear campaign against Rodrick to sway the general public out of his corner, ‘at all cost’ over the next six weeks before the election.
Each day, Hill appears to be shedding non-secular voters to Gerri Ambrosio, who is supported by a small disgruntled shadow group of Republicans with ties to developers, lobbyists, and engineers.
Ambrosio said she is running a campaign against Rodrick after Rodrick failed to intervene in a town hall matter regarding a family friend who was in hot water for using racial slurs in town hall. Ambrosio feels that Rodrick sat by while the employee lost his job after using the ‘n-word’ against black co-workers.
Ambrosio hopes her spite entry into the race will spoil Rodrick’s attempt to pave the way for a Hill victory.
Now, Hill is hoping he can muster enough votes in town to defeat his key opponent, Daniel Rodrick.
When asked about the prospect of Hill falling out of favor with his supporters, a campaign staffer told Shore News Network, “Good, let them go to Gerri; we can win without them.”
Members of the Jewish Community said they would not cast votes for Rodrick, who has opposed Hill’s pro-development agenda since Hill took office. Rodrick this week said that he would be a mayor for all people in the township and not cater to any special interest groups or lobbying interests.
“Dan Rodrick has not reached out to us,” one Jewish community leader told Shore News Network last week. “How can we vote for somebody who won’t even take our calls and doesn’t want to meet with us?”
Hill is also losing favor with senior citizens in the community. Last week, Hill’s campaign sent a campaign mailer to multiple senior citizen communities disguised as an official township letter, bearing the township seal, a possible campaign ethics violation.
A leader in one of the senior communities has told Shore News Network that community leaders are working on filing a campaign ethics violation against Hill. Disguised as a township tax bill from the outside, the letter was a rant about Councilman Dan Rodrick. Residents said the tactic did not amuse them.
Another Toms River GOP source told Shore News Network that the latest incident is nothing more than a ruse by the Hill campaign.
“Nobody has done more for the Orthodox Jewish community in Toms River than Mo Hill,” he said. “They are not leaving his side. This is nothing more than an campaign gimmick to try to convince the rest of the voters otherwise. The whole thing is smoke and mirrors. Hill’s job isn’t done yet. Everyone knows it.”
This article was written based on comments and phone calls received from political insiders within the Mo Hill Team, Rodrick Team and Ambrosio Team. Names are left anonymous by request.