School Board President Running For Mayor In Brick

BRICK, NJ — The newly selected president of the Brick Township Board of Education is running for mayor of the township as the town's Republicans seek to regain power.

Madeline Colagiovanni Iannarone was announced by the Brick Township Republican Club as its selection to challenge Mayor Lisa Crate in November, along with a slate of candidates for the council.

Crate, a Democrat who was appointed in 2023 to replace John Ducey when Ducey stepped down to become a Superior Court judge, was elected that year to finish the remaining two years of Ducey's term. She will be seeking her first full term as mayor.

In addition to the mayor's seat, three council seats are up for election in November. The council candidates joining Colagiovanni Iannarone are Gregory J. Cohen, Robert Canfield III and Lisa Reina.

The three seats that will be up for election are held by Marianna Pontoriero and Heather deJong, both Democrats, and Perry Albanese, the lone Republican on the council. If the Republicans were to win all three seats, they still would not have a majority on the council, as the other four seats are held by Democrats.

Colagiovanni Iannarone is finishing her third year of her first term on the school board, and by seeking election as mayor will not be able to seek re-election to the school board.

Colagiovanni Iannarone is a lifelong Brick resident who has served in many roles in the. She has served on the Zoning Board of Adjustment and as a commissioner of the Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority. She worked for the town's Recreation Department for many years as well, and served on the Brick Municipal Antidrug Coalition.

"For too long, we have seen out-of-control spending, reckless overdevelopment, and a lack of transparency in local government," Colagiovanni Iannarone said in the campaign announcement. "That stops now. As Mayor, I will ensure that every dollar is spent wisely, that our town prioritizes responsible development over unchecked expansion, and that we restore trust in government. I will fight for every resident—Republican, Independent, or Democrat—because this campaign is for all of Brick Township. It’s time to put Brick first."

Cohen has run for the Brick Township Board of Education in the last two elections. He is the director of transportation for the West Orange Schools and a former bus driver for the Brick Township Schools. He is an adjunct instructor for the Rutgers Transportation Supervisors Course and is the owner of the Gregory J. Cohen Insurance Agency.

Canfield has run for office multiple times over the last several years, including running as an independent for mayor in 2017 challenging Ducey, running for the school board and, most recently, he had been a Republican candidate for governor before announcing on Feb. 9 that he was suspending his gubernatorial campaign. He is a real estate agent and has served as a youth minister and a volunteer pastor at several local churches.

Reina has not run for office in Brick previously. The Republican Club announcement described her as "a solutions-driven leader with decades of experience managing complex operations. She is focused on ensuring responsible budgeting, increasing transparency, and putting the priorities of Brick’s families and residents first."

The announcements come more than a month before the official candidate primary petition deadline of March 24.

The Brick Republican Club also announced its endorsements for the governor and Assembly, supporting Paul Kanitra and Gregory McGuckin in their bids to return to the Assembly for new terms, and back Bill Spadea, the former radio host on NJ101.5 who is seeking the governor's seat against several Republican candidates.