TOMS RIVER, NJ – Kajal Lal, a 29-year-old banker at Investors Savings Bank, has withdrawn from the campaign for council in Toms River. Lal, a Democrat, is now reportedly taking a public job with the federal government and cannot hold political office.
The move comes just weeks after Democrats sought to find a replacement for mayoral candidate John Furey and after a homophobic rant from another candidate on the ticket was made public.
Jeff Horn, who is running for New Jersey State Senate on the Democrat ticket, said he and his Democrat seek to prevent Toms River Republican councilman Dan Rodrick from taking office as the next mayor. If Rodrick wins, he has committed to reversing the town’s course set forth by Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill and his council allies, which included, at one time, Democrats Terrance Turnbach and Laurie Huryk.
In an email to Democrats, Horn called upon Democrats to change Toms River for the better.
“Our goal should be to focus on being ‘BETTER CHANGE’ for our town,” he said. “The other side wants to pit neighbor against neighbor quite literally, and we are the vessel in which to prevent them from obtaining victory.”
Both Turnbach and Huryk were defeated for their overly progressive agendas and for their support of Mayor Mo Hill’s transitioning of Toms River into what many are calling a small city.
Democrats have until September 14th to replace Lal and Furey on the ticket, and political strategists are anticipating the party will wait until the clock nearly runs out in order to hinder the Republicans’ ability to conduct opposition research on candidates at that time. Horn said a replacement for Lal might not come until early August.
Democrat insiders have expressed concern over running against Rodrick in November after he defeated both wings of the fractured Toms River Republican party in the June primary election.
Democrats did not say what job Lal was taking.
Rodrick is running with Tom Nivison, owner of Silverton Farms; Lynne O’Toole, a Holiday City leader; and former OCVTS principal Craig Coleman.
Their team is expected to easily defeat the Democrats even as some members of the Republican establishment continue railing against Rodrick, including Toms River Mayor Mo Hill and his council ally David Ciccozi.
Ciccozzi said he would not support Rodrick in November. Rumors are swirling that Ciccozi is considering resigning from the township council.
Democrats appear to be standing behind council candidate Rhetta Jackson-Fair after a homophobic rant on Facebook surfaced.
In a Facebook post from August of 2016, Jackson-Fair said that homosexuals are ‘offending god’ and that people should condemn homosexuals and LGBTQ+ individuals because God condemns them.
“Stop lying to them that its ok being gay and God made them that way but they can choose eternal life and not temporary pleasures,” Jackson-Fair said. “Share with them how these things infected you. Teach them how to have fun without offending God. Don’t condone what God condemns.:”
For Democrats, replacing the existing slate of candidates would prevent Republicans from knowing who they are facing in November, a strategy that is intended to attempt to handcuff Rodrick’s team during the election.
Still, most analysts and newspaper reports have predicted Rodrick to win with an overwhelming victory against Democrats in November.