Veteran Senator Ronald L. Rice (D-28) today issued the following statement in support of Marty Small, Sr. for Mayor of Atlantic City:

In my 36 years as a public servant, including terms on the city council and as deputy mayor of the City of Newark, I’ve witnessed first-hand the qualities embodied by the most effective and respected leaders in our state.  Mayor Marty Small has them all.

First comes heart – a fierce determination to make life better for everyone.  Not in some kind of general, faceless formula, but in the one-on-one, personal interactions where people feel, in their soul, that they are heard, understood and supported.   A heart that extends the kind of attention and deep listening that can only be given by someone who puts others first instead of looking out for their own advantage or advancement.   That’s the kind of heart that beats in Mayor Small.

Second comes accountability.  When you’re accountable, you do whatever it takes to get the job done.  You find the funding, the team, the coalition and cooperation, the advisors, the methods and practices and every nut and bolt needed to build the dream and manifest the vision that will bring empowerment, prosperity, progress and peace to everyone in the community.  Mayor Small has shown that accountability with his leadership over the years by standing up and speaking out for the people of Atlantic City, often-times against the odds.

Last comes grit – the ability to put your head down and focus on the job at hand, one step at a time, one goal after another, without being distracted by setbacks, complications or obstacles thrown in your path by those who don’t share your heart, your accountability or your soul-rooted inspiration.  Mayor Small has shown that kind of grit with his leadership many times by fighting the people of Atlantic City’s fight and working with his council colleagues, former mayors, civil rights organizations, faith-based leaders and political operatives to protect the people’s rights and the people’s form of government in Atlantic City.

Heart, accountability and grit are three of the qualities I like most about Marty Small, Sr., which is why I am proud to endorse him as Mayor of Atlantic City.  Experience matters – especially during the kind of emergency caused by COVID-19.  Mayor Small has the expertise and track record to prove he can shepherd the City through a health and economic crisis while still overseeing other initiatives.

Born and raised on Virginia Avenue, he is a Favorite Son of the City, who grew up with its salt air in his blood and its passion in his gut.  He’s seen AC in its good times and its bad, and he’s determined to bring it into its full potential as a world class community rich with opportunity, unity and success.  It appears to me that that’s his life’s mission.

Just as residents of Atlantic City and Atlantic County have observed, we in the New Jersey Legislature have seen Mayor Small rise up and lead through all kinds of adversity, harnessing resources and tightening the reins in his effort to steer Atlantic City to new heights.  Neither outside special interest groups, insider opportunists or the grip of a viral pandemic has deterred him from putting people first, doing the right thing, staying focused on priorities and navigating through challenges with a steady hand.

Working with my legislative colleagues and the governor, I will do all that I can to support Marty Small as he continues the accomplishments and progress he’s made in his short time as Mayor.  I stand by Mayor Small in his commitment to guarantee that in Atlantic City, the best is yet to come.