MOORESTOWN – Councilwoman Victoria Napolitano announced on
Saturday her decision not to seek re-election to the Moorestown Town Council.
Napolitano was first elected in 2012 as the top vote-getter along with her running mate,
Phil Garwood. She was re-elected in 2016 with running mate Mike Locatell.

In 2015, she made history at age 26 as the youngest woman to ever be sworn-in as Mayor
in the State of New Jersey.

Napolitano was named to the Burlington County Times Forty Under 40 and South Jersey
Biz 20 Under 40. She was awarded the Drexel University Young Alumni Distinguished
Service Award and was recently named a National Elected Woman of Excellence by the
National Foundation for Women Legislators.

Please see below for the Councilwoman’s statement on her decision:

“It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to serve Moorestown as
a member of Town Council. I will forever be grateful to the people of
Moorestown for giving me this opportunity not once, but twice. But, as the
close of my second term draws near, I’ve decided not to seek another term.
This is a decision that I have not made lightly, but after great thought and
consultation with my family, I have decided that it is time for me to explore
new ventures, and, more importantly, to make room for new individuals to
bring their fresh ideas to the council.

Being a young woman in elected office has been challenging, gratifying, and
eye-opening. I have learned so much about the unique challenges that face
women in public office. I have had the chance to talk to many young
people, especially young women, about my experiences as an elected
officeholder, and network with women of both parties from across our
country, and I’ve been particularly lucky to forge friendships with a network
of women who are making a difference right here in New Jersey. I feel even
more strongly now than when I first ran for office eight years ago that more
women and more young people must have a seat at the table in public
office. I hope that my example has served as an inspiration to others, and I
will continue to do more to make this a reality.

One of my favorite things about serving on council, and especially as
mayor, is that I have gotten to meet and recognize so many of the
community-builders here in town. The people who are bringing people
together around the arts, sports, history, charity – you name it. It is so
inspiring to know how many people are willing to share their expertise and

commitment to what they care about. The council has an important role to
play, but these are the people who make Moorestown “Moorestown”.
People move to Moorestown for lots of different reasons. But I believe that
the reason we stay is that Moorestown is one of the increasingly rare places
where people still know their neighbors, where people care, and we feel like
we’re part of something together. In this time of hyper-partisanship and
increased isolation behind screens, it’s easy to forget that we’re all in this
together. There is no “us” and “them.” We each have a responsibility as
individuals to make our community work. We will have many disagreements
along the way, but no matter how fervently we disagree, it is imperative
that we treat one another with dignity and respect. Please bring your
passion, but bring your compassion, too. If we can all commit to that,
Moorestown will always remain a wonderful place to live, work, and play.
I still remain deeply invested in the future of Moorestown, for my family and
yours. I look forward to finding new capacities in which to serve our
community and to keep our future bright.”