Howell Mayoral Election 2024: John Leggio

HOWELL, NJ — Patch is again publishing profiles of local candidates in the 2024 election, set for Tuesday, Nov. 5.

In Howell Township, the mayor and one council seat are up for election.

There are two candidates seeking to succeed Theresa Berger as mayor. John Leggio is the Republican candidate running on the No Strings Attached slogan, after winning a three-way primary in June. John Hughes is the Democratic candidate.

There is one seat open on the Township Council. Incumbent Evelyn Malsbury O'Donnell, a Republican, is seeking re-election to the four-year seat. Rebecca Scott is the Democratic candidate, and Betty L. Velez-Gimbel, running on the Vision With Action slogan, is an independent.

The candidates received the same questions. Here is the response from John Leggio.

Name: John Leggio

Age: 52

Family: Wife Kristanne and two sons Vincenzo and Dominick

Education: 40-plus credits in business management

Occupation: Retired. Owned and operated local landscaping business for over 25 years. Sold business in 2022.

Any previous elected office or appointments in local government? Served two terms on Planning Board since 2019.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for. No.

Why are you running for office? Township needs new leadership that puts the community over politics.

What do you see as the biggest issue facing Howell Township right now and how would you address it?

The biggest issue facing certain areas of town are quality of life issues in our neighborhoods with rentals owned by LLCs. There are a few bad actors putting multiple families in single-family homes, overwhelming the roadways in certain neighborhoods, overwhelming our school system and creating safety concerns for first responders in the event of an emergency.

Name one thing about Howell Township that always makes you smile.

I love our open space, farmland and parks.