A three-term councilman from Rumson learned a tough lesson over the weekend: don’t mess with the church, or you risk a slap on the wrist two weeks before Election Day.
Gary Casazza created a low-budget campaign ad from Holy Cross Church in Rumson to boost his chances of winning a fourth term in a three-way primary for two seats. Councilwoman Linda Smith and former Fire Chief Rob Eyerkuss are also on the ballot.
The move brought a sharp rebuke from the Diocese of Trenton – something that’s not especially helpful in a political campaign.
“The Church, Diocese, and parish do not endorse political candidates, nor does it allow churches to be used for political ads as all Catholic journalists know,” said Rayanne Bennett, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Trenton. “The ad in question was filmed without any permission or knowledge of church officials and has been taken down by the candidate with apology at the pastor’s request.”
Casazza told the New Jersey Globe that he “didn’t realize there was a rule about filing a commercial at the church.”
He said he’s removed the Facebook ad and is in the process of pulling it from Instagram.
Casazza used the church’s grounds to record his social media ad, saying that “Holy Cross has been my parish since we moved into town. While all my children went here, they all received all their sacraments here. I feel a special place for Holy Cross. It has been a wonderful place for the community, and it brings joy to the town.”
Rumson is a Republican stronghold: Jack Ciattarelli carried the town by 22.6 points in his last year’s governor’s race, and Donald Trump won it by 13 points in 2024. Democrats have not run a candidate in Rumson since 2015; in that race, mayoral candidate Michael Steinhorn won 34% of the vote.
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