Brick Township, NJ - A fresh round of campaign mailers has reignited tensions in Brick Township’s heated mayoral race, and the latest piece may reveal more than it intended.
The Monmouth & Ocean Counties Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO recently sent letters to thousands of union households urging them to support Democratic Mayor Lisa Crate and her council slate. On the reverse, the same mailer endorses Mikie Sherrill for Governor and Dale Caldwell for Lieutenant Governor, underscoring organized labor’s alignment with Democratic leadership from Trenton to the Shore.
Republicans say the mailer confirms what they have warned all along, that Brick’s leadership is increasingly tied to Trenton’s political machine and the Democrat development agenda.
“It’s clear whose side they’re on,” said one strategist. “They’re fighting for the Democrat wishlist, not for Brick Township.”
A Plan Under Fire
Behind the campaign noise lies a larger debate, Mayor Crate’s new Master Plan update.
Republicans claim the plan quietly opens the door to high-density housing and mixed-use development, echoing the policies long favored by Trenton Democrats.
“This isn’t a plan for Brick families, it’s a blueprint for overdevelopment,” said one local planner. “Developers get breaks, taxpayers get the bill.”
Residents worry that Brick’s suburban identity, once defined by open space, family neighborhoods, and a slower pace, could be erased by new zoning rules that favor large-scale projects and outside developers.
A Town at a Crossroads
The timing of the mailer, just weeks before Election Day, has amplified frustration among voters already weary of traffic, overcrowded schools, and rising costs.
As the race tightens, one question now dominates community discussions,
Where does Brick Township go from here?
Will it follow the path of rapid expansion and high-density projects promoted by Trenton Democrats and their union allies, or return to a vision that protects open space, safeguards local control, and preserves the town’s suburban character?
The answer may define not just the outcome of this election, but the future of Brick itself.
