Gloucester Township, NJ – The 2025 mayoral race in Gloucester Township is heating up, with new developments raising questions about the motives behind certain candidacies. As previously reported by GT Observer and other news outlets, the emergence of alleged “phantom candidate” Neil Smith has sparked speculation, and now another lesser-known candidate, Joseph Brocco, has entered the fray, prompting further scrutiny.
Neil Smith’s Write-In Campaign
In the June 10, 2025, primary election, Neil Smith reportedly secured a significant number of write-in votes in the Republican primary for mayor. According to a post on X by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman, approximately 388 write-in votes were cast, and if at least 100 of those were for Smith, he would secure the Republican nomination for the November general election. Early indications suggest Smith may indeed appear on the ballot, though official confirmation is still pending from the Camden County Clerk’s Office.
Smith’s candidacy has been labeled as that of a “phantom candidate” due to the lack of public information about his platform or background. Mailers urging Republican voters to write in Smith’s name, some bearing a Florida postmark, among other evidence have fueled speculation about his ties to local political operatives. Critics have suggested Smith’s candidacy may be an attempt to draw votes away from Gibbons, an independent running against incumbent Mayor David R. Mayer. The Camden County Democratic Committee did not respond to inquiries about their potential involvement, leaving questions unanswered about Smith’s sudden emergence.
Joe Bracco: Another Mysterious Candidate
Adding to the intrigue, Joe Brocco filed petitions to run as an unaffiliated candidate in the November general election, with the June 10 primary serving as the deadline for independent candidates to submit signatures. According to documents reviewed by GT Observer, Brocco’s petitions—19 in total—were circulated by individuals from Vineland, Marlton, and Pennsauken, none of whom appear to be Gloucester Township residents. Notably, Brocco himself did not circulate any petitions, and one individual named Lewis Hanna of Vineland NJ allegedly submitted 11 separate petitions, raising questions about the process. Why, for instance, would a single circulator submit multiple petitions rather than consolidating signatures on fewer forms?
Another circulator, Carmen Scarduzio who is a Gloucester Township resident and a candidate for the Camden County Democratic Committee in the 2025 primary, is listed as a circulator on these petitions. [Figure 1: 2025 Gloucester Township Ballot office of Camden County Democrat Committee]. This raises questions.
[Figure 2:] 2025 Primary Ballot for County Committee] Entire list figure 1 was taken from
[Figure 3: Petition Circulator Signature for Joe Brocco] Caption: A petition for Joe Brocco’s candidacy, showing Carmen Scarduzio as the circulator, with the signature verifying the collected voter signatures.
Further examination of the petitions reveals additional curiosities. Some signatures on Brocco’s petitions match those of individuals who also signed petitions for Mayor David R. Mayer, the Democratic nominee, and other candidates running for the Camden County Democratic Committee in this year’s primary. This overlap has sparked speculation about coordinated efforts, particularly given Scarduzio’s role as a Democratic committee candidate. While it’s possible that Brocco received legitimate support from outside Gloucester Township to meet the signature requirement, the role of a Camden County Democratic Committee candidate as a circulator, combined with overlapping signatures and reported connections within local political circles, prompts questions about the circumstances surrounding his candidacy.
The Broader Race
The 2025 mayoral race is already a contentious one. Incumbent Mayor David R. Mayer, a Democrat and director of government affairs for New Jersey American Water, faces a strong challenge from Keith Gibbons, a Gloucester Township Board of Education member running as an independent under the “United for Change” banner. Gibbons, a vocal critic of township leadership, led a successful 2024 referendum campaign to block the sale of the Gloucester Township Municipal Utilities Authority (GTMUA) to New Jersey American Water. The referendum failed with 4 out of 5 voters voted against the proposed sale.
The United For Change slate also includes three independent council candidates: School Board President Jen O’Donnell, retired police officer and Downtown Blackwood business owner Nick Rehrig, and AJ Torres, owner of AJ’s Auto Detailing in Blackwood. The group’s platform emphasizes term limits for elected officials and restoring the GTMUA from it current being a “Utility”.
The emergence of mayoral candidates like Smith and Brocco has sparked concerns about potential vote-splitting tactics, a strategy allegedly employed in past South Jersey elections. According to POLITICO, the Camden County Democratic machine has a history of backing “phantom candidates” to manipulate ballots or confuse voters, though no definitive evidence links Smith or Brocco directly to such efforts at this time.
What’s Next?
As Gloucester Township heads toward the November 2025 general election, residents are left with more questions than answers. Who are Neil Smith and Joe Brocco, and what are their intentions? Are their candidacies genuine, or do they represent calculated efforts to influence the outcome of a closely watched race? GT Observer will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as more information becomes available.
For now, the Camden County Clerk’s Office is reviewing petitions for independent candidates, with a deadline for challenges set for June 19, 2025. Voters can expect a clearer picture of the final ballot in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the 2025 mayoral and council races promise to be a focal point of debate in Gloucester Township.
Have a tip or additional information about the 2025 election? Contact GT Observer .
