Toms River Township Council Ward 2 Election 2025: Clinton Bradley

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Patch is publishing profiles of local candidates in the 2025 election, set for Tuesday, Nov. 4.

In Toms River, voters will be casting ballots in four wards for seats on the Township Council. The council seats are four-year terms.

In Ward 1, Republican Robert Bianchini is facing Democrat Anthony Colucci. In Ward 2, Republican Clinton Bradley is facing Democrat Susan Payne Gato. In Ward 3, Republican Harry Aber is alone on the ballot as there is no Democratic nominee. Republican Jim Quinlisk, the incumbent, is running a write-in campaign. In Ward 4, Republican David Ciccozzi is facing Democrat Justin Moran. Democrat Paul Williams is running a write-in campaign.

The candidates were sent the same set of questions in mid-October. Here are the answers from Clinton Bradley.

Name: Clinton Bradley

Age: 35
Family: I am a proud military veteran supporting my family, including my mother and stepdad. We are dedicated and hardworking, holding strong to the ideals of America and our conservative values. I love serving others and have a strong, heartfelt belief in God.

Education: Immaculata University, Immaculata, Pennsylvania, Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity GPA: 3.94, 3.98 GPA in Cybersecurity core classes, Magna Cum Laude. Honors: National Society of Leadership and Success, The Order of the Sword and Shield, and Alpha Sigma Lambda.

Cabrini College, Radnor, Pennsylvania. Bachelor of Arts, Dual Major: History and Political Science
GPA: 3.91, 4.0 GPA in History & Political Science core classes, Summa Cum Laude. Honors: Phi Alpha Theta, Pi Sigma Alpha, Political Science Academic Medal, Highest average in subject matter in the Graduating class

Valley Forge Military College, Wayne, Pennsylvania. Associate of Arts, Dual Major: History/Government

Occupation: I am here for the people of Toms River. I have been a resident of this amazing town for 35 years. This town has made me who I am today. Ward 2 deserves a candidate who will work hard for them and ensure their voice is heard. I served in the Army National Guard of Pennsylvania for 5 ½ years and New Jersey for 9½ years. During that time, I learned how to lead from the front and listen to those around me on how to accomplish the tasks set forth in front of me. I managed a budget of over $21 million in equipment and vehicles as Battery Commander. I also oversaw 80 soldiers while managing a full-time civilian career. I deployed twice: Egypt and Iraq. In Egypt, I was responsible for getting a huge multimillion-dollar construction project back on track, shaving off months of projected extra time due to my logistical planning and coordination with all assets from air transport, ground crews, engineering, shipping, and transportation. I am someone who can be relied upon to get things done in a timely and cost-effective manner. I work as a cybersecurity systems analyst, which entails auditing government-contracted cloud service providers to ensure they meet the federal standards of excellence for cybersecurity. I will apply my skills to enhance our local government and significantly improve our town's quality of life. Together, we can create a better community for everyone.

Overdevelopment has been the hot button discussion for years. In August, the Fair Share Housing Center filed an objection to Toms River’s announced plan to meet affordable housing numbers for the fourth round. How do you suggest Toms River respond?

We are losing our small-town identity to developers who care nothing about the town, only how much land can be purchased and built on. My goal is to ensure the residential neighborhood character of our town, not foster a downtown city as the opposition may falsely claim. This overdevelopment is placing a huge strain on the municipal utilities, our roads, and infrastructure. I would work to minimize development and maximize credits to meet the state-mandated required units. Failing to have a compliant plan leaves our town vulnerable to "builder's remedy" lawsuits. This opens the door to courts approving a developer's plan at higher densities than our town can handle and overriding our local zoning rules.

The issue of homelessness in Ocean County is not going away. Rising rent costs combined with scarce availability have pushed even moderate-income residents to the brink and in some cases left them homeless. What role should Toms River have in assisting those in need?

The closure of Code Blue has made things even more challenging for our residents who are experiencing homelessness. I am committed to working closely with the county and dedicated non-profit organizations to develop a long-term plan that will help those affected find a stable and secure place to call home. To be clear, placing homeless shelters in our residential neighborhoods is not the solution.

What is the issue facing Toms River that you believe is the most pressing and how would you approach solving it?

The lack of a standard of excellence that once attracted people to move to Toms River is a pressing and pervasive issue in our local government. The town is currently grappling with several significant problems: ineffective code enforcement, unchecked overdevelopment, the conversion of single-family homes into multi-family residences, an understaffed police department, lack of EMT service, and a critical lack of transparency. I will work to protect our residential communities, improve essential services to our residents, and restore a standard of excellence to protect property values.