Brick mayor tabbed for judiciary job. What happens next?

BRICK — Gov. Phil Murphy nominated Brick Mayor John G. Ducey this week to serve on the state Superior Court, a position that would require Ducey to step down as mayor of this 75,000-resident township.

The nomination is no guarantee Ducey will join the court, but it launches a process of background checks and interviews that could lead to a change in leadership in Brick.

"It's very humbling for me to be in this position," he said Wednesday. "I'm going to continue to strive for it (the judicial appointment). It's something that I've wanted to do for a long time."

If Ducey's nomination leads to Superior Court, he must step down as Brick's mayor, he said. In that situation, the Ocean County Democrats would select his replacement from among their members in Brick. The appointee would fulfill Ducey's term through the end of this year. The change of leadership would also trigger a special election in November, where Brick voters would have their say over whether that appointee would fill the remainder of the mayor's term, which ends in 2025.

"For a town that nationally votes for a lot of Republicans, they (residents) recognize that locally, the Democrats and Mayor Ducey have done a tremendous job of putting Brick first," said Wyatt Earp, chairman of the Ocean County Democrats.

Ducey, a Democrat, has served as Brick's mayor since 2014 and as a township councilman for two years prior. He grew up in Toms River and attended Monsignor Donovan High School before enrolling at Barry University in Miami Shore, Florida. He eventually went on to attend the University of Miami Law School, according to the Brick Township municipal website.

New Jersey's Superior Court hears criminal and civil cases, family and child custody disputes, and tax lawsuits.

To be confirmed, Ducey will be vetted and interviewed by the members of the state Senate, which will then vote on his appointment. If approved, Ducey will be sworn in for an initial term of seven years, after which time the governor can nominate him for a reappointment. Judges who are reappointed then have tenure and serve until the age of 70. At that age, they are obligated by the state Constitution to retire.

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Earp said Ducey recently played a crucial role in helping Brick and Ocean County purchase a wooded parcel for open space that was previously eyed for a housing development. Brick municipal taxes have also remained stable under Ducey's leadership, Earp said.

"I think people who live in town recognize that both Mayor Ducey and the Democratic (majority township) Council that they elected with him, have done a great job of being fiscally conservative and protecting the legacy of Brick," he said.

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Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers Brick, Barnegat and Lacey townships as well as the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than a decade. Reach her at @OglesbyAPP, aoglesby@gannettnj.com or 732-557-5701.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Brick mayor tabbed for judiciary job. What happens next?