Democrat Moriarty Elected Mayor in Washington Twp.

BYLINE: By Maureen Graham; Inquirer Staff Writer

Capitalizing on a split in the local Republican Party, political newcomer Paul Moriarty and his running mates scored a dramatic Democratic sweep yesterday in a hotly contested and sometimes vitriolic election in Washington Township.

Moriarty overwhelmed Republican Jeff Morris, also new to township politics, by a nearly 2-1 ratio in the mayoral contest.

Moriarty's running mates, council candidates Anita LaPierre and Frank Scarpato, were victorious over Republicans Tim DeCola and Agnes Gardiner by wide margins. The wins gave the Democrats control of Gloucester County's most populous and politically influential municipality.

Two independent candidates for mayor - onetime Republicans Theresa Lappe and Ginny Weber - trailed far behind.

"They said we were political novices, and we were - and we won," Moriarty told jubilant supporters last night at the Renaissance Room in Turnersville.

Joining in the celebration were several Republicans who supported Moriarty over Morris, including former party chairman Frank Cianci.

"Twenty-two Republican committee people [out of 50] backed Moriarty," Cianci said over the din at the posh banquet hall, where an 18-piece band had been set up with an open bar and complimentary entrees.

The Democratic win was the climax of an aggressive get-out-the-vote drive spearheaded by the local and Gloucester County party organizations.

Throughout the day, more than 200 street workers, many from trade unions, fanned out across the township urging Democratic stalwarts to vote.

Republicans were no match in the field and were outspent in the race by 4-1.
Moriarty raised more than $125,000 running for the mayoral post, which has an annual salary of $25,000. Morris raised about $30,000.

"They outspent us 4-1 and that was hard to overcome," Morris said as early returns showed a lopsided margin.

Complete but unofficial returns showed that more than 24,000 residents voted, the highest turnout in recent memory, according to local political observers.

While some of the voter enthusiasm undoubtedly stemmed from the Bush-Kerry presidential race, the local contest had its share of interest.

For weeks, Moriarty and Morris campaigned hard, participating in debates that drew as many as 500 people.

As the election neared, campaign literature became increasingly nasty, with Morris contending that Moriarty was beholden to township developers and Moriarty countering that Morris, who owns a printing business, was benefiting financially from his own campaign.

The election came after bitter primary battles in which Moriarty defeated Mayor Randee Davidson and Morris outpolled Michelle Martin.

The Democrats put the primary behind them and threw their money and support to Moriarty, 48, a former KYW-TV (Channel 3) news reporter. The primary, however, left the Republicans fractured, with some key local GOP figures backing Moriarty.

Last night, primary battles were forgotten, at least by the winner.

Among those celebrating with him were former Mayor John Robertson, former township solicitor Joseph Alacqua, both Democrats; many supporters of former Republican Mayor Jerry Luongo; and some of the township's most prominent Realtors and developers. "There's now a level playing field," said developer Anthony Marotta, who had contended that Davidson has treated developers unfairly.

It was the first time in 16 years that no incumbents appeared on the ballot in a race where the mayor's seat was also up. The two incumbent Democratic council people whose seats were up had decided not to seek reelection.

Amid the partying, some noted that the Washington Township political scene was never far from the unexpected.

"There's going to be obstacles he never anticipated," Robertson said of the mayor-elect. "He's in for a real roller-coaster ride."

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