97-year-old mayor reelected to four-year term in New Jersey

The town of Tinton Falls, N.J., has reelected 97-year-old Vito Perillo to his second, four-year term as its mayor. 

“Thank you to my fellow residents for trusting me to lead Tinton Falls forward for the next four years. You may know that I am not a politician, but today I stopped to think about why people might vote for me. Maybe it’s because I’m a WWII veteran, or an ‘old guy’ (hopefully not), or maybe it’s because you read my flyer highlighting our accomplishments over the last 4 years,” Perillo wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday.

“My hope, however, is that it’s because you see that I care about our town and the people who live in it above anything else. I promise to do my best everyday to ensure every member of our community can be proud to live in Tinton Falls!,” Perillo continued. 

Perillo, a World War II veteran and an electrical engineer for the Department of Defense, beat out three contenders in the nonpartisan election on Tuesday, according to The Washington Post.

According to the unofficial results from the Monmouth County Board of Elections, Perillo earned 2,209 votes from Tinton Falls residents. Retired schoolteacher Ellen Goldberg trailed with 1,898 votes.

Perillo used his reelection campaign to tout the positive changes he made during his first term, including an investment in the town’s infrastructure and equipment, paving more than 10.6 miles of roads and sidewalks, and the acquisition of a new town park, the Post reported. 

With no political background, Perillo first ran for mayor in 2018 after sharing concerns about his property tax bill, Tinton Falls’s administration spending practices and numerous scandals facing the town’s police department. 

Perillo then defeated a two-term incumbent who had 20 years of experience in local politics in the town’s mayoral race, the Post reported. 

Perillo’s daughter Anna Mae Perillo told the Post that she is inspired by her father’s continued work as mayor, calling him her “hero.” 

“He doesn’t want to be known as the oldest mayor, he just wants to be known as a good mayor,” Perrillo said.