Gina LaPlaca and her husband face charges in a New Jersey ballot fraud case tied to her June 3 Democratic primary run.
Ballot fraud charges have deepened the legal troubles of former New Jersey mayor Gina LaPlaca, after prosecutors said she and her husband, Jason Carty, forged signatures to help her qualify for the Democratic primary ballot in Lumberton Township. The case centers on LaPlaca’s failed reelection bid in the south-central New Jersey municipality and comes after a series of other public controversies surrounding the 47-year-old politician.
The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office said Tuesday that the couple both collected signatures and allegedly placed people’s names on a nominating petition without their consent before the June 3 primary vote. Investigators said multiple people whose names appeared to support LaPlaca told them they had not signed or authorized anyone to do so. Prosecutors said LaPlaca signed the petition under oath, attesting that she personally circulated it and that each signer had written their own name. Carty then submitted the petition to the township clerk, officials said. The prosecutor’s office said the petition would not have met the required number of signatures without the fraudulent entries.
LaPlaca was one of three candidates competing for two Democratic primary spots. She finished last with 323 votes, while current Mayor Terrance Benson received 1,100 votes and former committeewoman Kendra Hatfield got 1,052. Prosecutors charged LaPlaca by summons with making a false statement under oath, knowingly filing a false petition, two counts of tampering with public records or information, and falsifying or tampering with records. Carty was charged with knowingly filing a false petition, two counts of tampering with public records or information, and falsifying or tampering with records. Their first court appearance is set for Superior Court in Mount Holly on Sept. 21.
“Gina LaPlaca and her husband face charges in a New Jersey ballot fraud case tied to her June 3 Democratic primary run.”
The ballot case lands on top of a separate public record that has already made LaPlaca a familiar name in New Jersey. She is currently serving a three-year supervision sentence after a March 17, 2025, arrest in which officials said she had a blood alcohol concentration of .30%, nearly four times the legal limit. She later pleaded guilty in March to DUI and child endangerment tied to the St. Patrick’s Day arrest. Prosecutors and court officials described the sentence as a second chance because she was a first-time offender and had been accepted into an intervention program. Those facts have kept her under scrutiny well beyond the township race.
Days before the June 3 primary, LaPlaca also accused Carty of aggravated assault and said he had tried to kill her. The New Jersey Globe reported that Carty allegedly strangled her inside their home during an early-morning incident, after which he was told to leave the house and later charged with aggravated assault by strangulation and harassment with intent to cause alarm. An officer responding to the scene reported that LaPlaca appeared intoxicated and smelled of alcohol, though she denied that account and said her husband had been the one drinking. She also wrote that she was taking antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication and that the incident happened early in the morning.
LaPlaca also accused unnamed people of voter intimidation five days before the election, saying individuals in dark suits had visited at least 10 supporters and asked whether they signed her petition. The broader picture is one of a local political fight spilling into criminal court, with both ballot access and personal conduct now at issue. For New Jersey voters, the case shows how signature-gathering rules, sworn petitions and campaign transparency can shape who gets on the ballot in the first place. What happens next will be tracked at the Sept. 21 court date and the Aug. 19 pre-indictment conference. The bottom line: the fight over LaPlaca’s candidacy is now a legal test of how seriously election rules are enforced in local races.
Frequently asked questions
What are Gina LaPlaca and Jason Carty accused of doing?
Prosecutors say they falsified a nominating petition by putting names on it without consent to help LaPlaca reach the ballot.
Did LaPlaca need the disputed signatures to qualify?
Yes. The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office said her petition would have lacked enough signatures without them.
How did LaPlaca do in the primary?
She finished last among three candidates, earning 323 votes. Terrance Benson and Kendra Hatfield won the two available spots.
What other legal trouble has LaPlaca faced?
She is serving a three-year supervision sentence after a DUI and child endangerment case tied to a March 17, 2025 arrest.
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