After 12 Years, Asbury Park Mayor John Moor Stepping Down

ASBURY PARK, NJ — Asbury Park Mayor John Moor will not seek re-election this year, the Asbury Park Press was the first to report.

Moor said he believes in term limits, and he's been the mayor of Asbury Park for the past 12 years (four terms). In announcing his resignation, he encouraged residents to vote for Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn (both are Democrats).

Subscribe

And Quinn confirmed she will seek a four-year term as the city’s next mayor.

“I love Asbury Park,” she said. “I’ve devoted over a decade of my life to serving it. How many other candidates for mayor of a small city can say they have its name tattooed on them? Countless interests compete to influence city decisions. You can’t please everybody all the time, because people want different things. But like Mayor Moor, I promise to listen to all voices and concerns, study all sides of every issue, seek the greater good for the most people, and defend the edgy weirdness that makes us a great place to live, work and visit.”

“I wholeheartedly endorse Amy Quinn for Mayor,” said Moor. "It makes it a little easier to retire if she is the one who’ll be sitting in my seat.”

Quinn has been Deputy Mayor since 2015; she was first elected to the Asbury Park City Council in a slate with current Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton and Eileen Chapman, both of whom endorsed her for mayor.

Signatures for who is running for Asbury Park Mayor are not due until August, so Quinn did not officially file yet. But she announced this week she is running for the city's top seat.

She's been endorsed by Councilwoman Clayton and Reverend David Parreott, Jr., a former Asbury Park City Councilman and who member of the Asbury Park Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

“I’ve promoted some policies that didn’t win approval in all quarters,” she said. “Banning plastic bags to protect the ocean, regulating short term rentals to preserve housing stock, rent control, adopting some of the most progressive affordable housing ordinances in New Jersey. The state requires all municipalities to create affordable housing, but I’m committed to a proactive range of policies that give lifelong residents a chance to remain here. I advocate for such things because I believe in them.”

“I’m looking forward to discussing ideas and policies,” said Quinn, “at my free campaign kick-off event at Parlor Gallery on April 24th at 6:00 pm. Please join me for refreshments and snacks.”