Giovine visits lakewood to get out the vote in toms river mayoral election

Giovine Visits Lakewood to Get Out the Vote in Toms River Mayoral Election

LAKEWOOD, NJ – With just days left before Tuesday’s election for mayor in Toms River, Democrat Ben Giovine visited Lakewood Township and met with Meir Dickstein, the editor of the Lakewood News Network, to introduce himself to the community.

Earlier in October, Giovine had sought the endorsement of the Toms River Jewish Community Council (TRVAAD), knowing that he needed the support of the growing Orthodox Jewish community if he wanted to have a chance to defeat Republican Councilman Dan Rodrick on Tuesday.

In the interview, Giovine discussed his stance on reducing Toms River’s one-acre zoning, saying there needs to be an open discussion and dialogue. Giovine also expressed the need to educate the general population of Toms River to the needs of the town’s various religious communities.

Giovine has made his stance clear: he did not want to take any actions as mayor that would lead to new lawsuits or scrutiny by the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

Last week, Giovine received a sizable donation from the Lakewood Jewish Federation for $5,200.

The interview is available on the Lakewood News Network website.

Giovine, a Democrat who serves as District Director to ultra-progressive New Jersey Congressman Andy Kim said he would seek to use his experience at the federal level to help get the community federal funding if elected.

Photo – Screen grab of Giovine’s interview with the Lakewood News Network.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.