Two-term mayor got the most votes in June 6 primary
Township Mayor Joanne Gattinelli will vie for a seat on the Gloucester County Board of Commissioners in the Nov. 7 general election.
Gloucester County Democrats tapped Gattinelli to run on their party slate, which includes incumbent Jim Jefferson and Pitman councilman Matt Weng. Gattinelli would serve a three-year term if elected.
Now in her second term as mayor, Gattinelli said she was honored to receive the Democrats’ endorsement.
“I am humbled that my service as mayor of Washington Township has been recognized and that the members of the committee have put their faith in me to represent them at the county level,” she noted.
“I look forward to working together for the betterment of our county.”
Gattinelli got the most votes in the June 6 primary election, 12,315, while Jefferson followed with 12,138 votes and Weng garnered 11,927. The Democratic slate beat three other candidates: Denise Brush, Ted Howell and Evert Rummel.
Gattinelli will replace commissioner Heather Simmons, who is seeking a state Assembly seat and who garnered the most primary votes to vie for the two open Assembly seats in the 3rd legislative district. Gattinelli, Jefferson and Weng will run against Republicans Adam Wingate, James R. Philbin Jr., and Heather Flaim.
Gattinelli defeated incumbent township Mayor Barbara Wallace in the 2016 Democratic primary, then beat Republican Joseph Micucci to win her first term as mayor. She won her second term in 2020 by besting Republican Vincent Spinelli and independent candidate Giancarlo D’Orazio.
Gattinelli is an alumna of the township high school and has lived in the municipality for more than 30 years with her husband and two sons. She owned Gattinelli Pizza and Pasta in the township for 12 years and holds a real estate license, according to the township website.
