TOMS RIVER, N.J. — The Democratic primary race for Toms River’s Ward 4 council seat features two sharply contrasting candidates: one with a background in technology and the arts, the other seeking redemption after a criminal past.
Paul C. Williams, is running on a message of transparency and second chances. Williams, who has served prison time for armed robbery, insurance fraud, and other offenses, has made his past a central part of his candidacy. “He refuses to be defined by it and encourages those who do not know him to at least pause, lean in, and get to know him personally before defining and condemning him,” his campaign literature reads.
Williams, 55, has pleaded guilty to multiple crimes, including a 2007 charge of insurance fraud in which he admitted to falsely reporting his car stolen in Seaside Heights and submitting fraudulent documents to Liberty Mutual. He served concurrent sentences for that and unrelated charges including criminal mischief and passing bad checks.
At a 2024 council meeting, Williams admitted that he had served time in prison for armed robbery.
His opponent, Justin Moran, a first-time candidate, is running on a platform of civic engagement and revitalization. A product director for a real estate software company and a writer with credits in musical theater and television, Moran said his career outside of politics is an asset. “These are not political careers… But isn’t it more important to have people in office who are doers rather than people who like to hear themselves talk?” Moran stated in his campaign material.
Moran is campaigning on boosting the downtown economy, supporting small businesses, and promoting youth engagement. He describes himself as a community-minded citizen with no desire to enter “career politics,” aiming instead to “get the job done and then pass the torch.”
Redemption and reform in focus
Despite this history, Williams maintains he has turned his life around and is committed to ethical governance. His platform centers on restoring trust in local government and increasing public accountability. “Transparency and accountability is essential for our elected public officials, because it serves to build public trust,” his campaign states.
Voter turnout and public response may hinge on how residents view character, experience, and the capacity for change. Both candidates have made their personal histories central to their message, creating a race defined less by policy difference and more by life experience.
The Ward 4 primary outcome could serve as a local referendum on second chances and the evolving expectations of political leadership.
