Another Prominent Member of the Democratic Party has Walked Away and Joined the
Phillipsburg Republicans

Phillipsburg, New Jersey — 10/28/2019 — Elected Phillipsburg School Board Member,
Matthew Thomas Scerbo, has joined the ranks of the Phillipsburg Republicans after he was
continuously targeted with late night “hostile text messages” by Mayor Stephen R. Ellis for
opting to run for Phillipsburg Town Council against Ellis’s Team of JP Stettner and Lee Clark in
last Spring’s Democratic Primary.

Scerbo, a lifelong Democrat and former Phillipsburg School Board President, stated he made his
decision after witnessing what he believes to be the highly unethical behavior of the Phillipsburg
Municipal Democratic Party and the dishonorable practices of Mayor Stephen R. Ellis.

“Four years ago I walked door to door in my hometown campaigning for Stephen “Rogie” Ellis
and after he was elected I had to watch our community’s rapid decline and witnessed some of the
most bizarre behavior from any elected official in Phillipsburg’s history,” Scerbo stated, “The
Phillipsburg Republican Party is the only group of people willing to listen to the residents, work
with all parties for the betterment of Phillipsburg, and long for the much needed progress this
town so desperately desires; however a small faction of agenda-driven individuals continuously
stands in the way unless there is something in it for them.”

Mr. Scerbo, opted to run on a slate of Democrats last spring that included fellow School Board
Member, Vickie Branch, and former Democrat turned Republican, Councilman Mark Lutz.
According to Scerbo, he was harassed long before he decided to run for Council but it
heightened when he finally announced his bid for the upcoming seat.

Mr. Scerbo is the President of the Firthtown Falcons Youth Organization, former School Board
President and Vice President, and is currently serving his second term on the Phillipsburg School
Board.

Full statement from School Board Member, Matthew Scerbo:

“I have always been a Phillipsburg Democrat. It’s unfortunate that I no longer feel welcome in
the party that once showed much prominence in the Town of Phillipsburg. It’s changed so much in the last four years and their integrity and values are the exact opposite of what we all once
stood for. Today, I witness the deep divide in our community caused by these agenda-driven
individuals, and as someone who represents the best interests of our children on a daily basis, I
simply cannot allow myself to remain a member of a party that has endorsed a man like JP
Stettner, who allowed a registered sex offender around our children in close proximity, acting in
the capacity as a coach, for an organization he served and continues to serve as both Treasurer
and Board Member. I can no longer align myself with a group who has endorsed rewarding party
members with taxpayer funds by providing them with high paying jobs that never existed in the
past.
It’s just wrong.

The Republican Party in the Town of Phillipsburg has proven they can work with each other
despite the difference in political ideologies and they have demonstrated strong and effective
leadership over the past 4 years by consistently working for the people and not themselves. I am
proud to join the Phillipsburg GOP and look forward to working with them in restoring our
Town’s once prominent reputation.”