TOMS RIVER, NJ – Toms River Councilman Dan Rodrick today thanked the voters of Toms River for his overwhelming victory against Toms River Mayor Mo Hill in Tuesday night’s Republican primary election but says there’s still a long way to go to the finish line against Democrats in November.
“Thank you to the residents of Toms River for their support,” Rodrick said. “I am extremely grateful for the outpouring of support from our residents, and we’ll continue to fight to make sure we win in November.”
Rodrick defeated his opponents Mo Hill and Geri Ambrosio nearly 2-1 combined. Rodrick received 45% of of the total vote, while Hill, Ambrosio, and Robert Bianchini split the remainder.
“This election shows that 70% of Toms River residents want to see Toms River move in a different direction than the one Mayor Mo Hill was promising,” Rodrick said. “Now it’s time for us to come together as a community to protect our town from overdevelopment, preserve our quality of life and do what needs to be done to make sure Toms River remains a great place to call home for everyone.”
“We have a lot of challenges ahead of us and lots of problems created by the current administration to address and fix,” Rodrick said. “Hill and Ambrosio represented the extreme of these problems, but I am confident we can find solutions to all our town’s problems without sacrificing our quality of life. I think together, we can all work to stop overdevelopment and keep Toms River a great place to live for everyone.”
Rodrick said the township must also focus on bringing businesses and opportunities to the entire town, not just insiders who want to see Downtown turned into a city.
“We can spark interest in Downtown Toms River and revitalize the village without selling land to developers and building massive hi-rise buildings,” Rodrick said. “Downtown Toms River has a lot of opportunities, and I want to see it become a waterfront destination like Belmar with a large pier, concessions, more restaurants, and regularly scheduled events. At the same time, we have to stop neglecting the opportunities that exist along Route 37, Route 9, Fischer Boulevard, and Hooper Avenue. Those business owners are all just as important as those downtown, and they have been ignored for the past four years.”
The victory for Rodrick meant a solid defeat for warring factions of Republicans led by GOP Chairman George Gilmore and Mo Hill.
“The residents made it clear tonight,” Rodrick said. “They rejected the Republican establishment and made it clear, they don’t care about the political battle being waged here. They want to move forward. I hope both sides can come to their senses and realize the people have spoken. They don’t want party bosses making their decisions anymore. “
Most importantly, Rodrick thanked his team and his running mates for the victory.
“I could not have done this without having a great team behind me, including my running mates and friends who volunteered to help us win last night,” Rodrick said. “We are bringing a highly qualified and experienced leadership team to the table backed by a great group of supporters behind them. They worked tirelessly putting out signs, getting the message out, and doing what needed to be done to win.”
Craig Coleman, Thomas Nivison, and Lynn O’Tool won their council race and will be on the Republican line with Rodrick in the November general election.
“These three individuals bring a wealth of experience and diversity to town hall,” Rodrick said. “They are all successful people who will help us guide the township in the right direction. I also could not have done any of this without the full support of my wife, Diana.”