Evesham mayor, kicking coach, taking aim at governor's office?

Evesham Mayor Randy Brown, kicking coach for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, announced the creation of a political action committee Wednesday, a move that some see as intended to score the governor's office.

Although he has publicly expressed interest in running for governor in 2017, he declined to say on the record Wednesday whether the new PAC paves the way for such a run. Its formal mission is to promote small businesses across New Jersey, and he will serve as its honorary chairman.

"Small businesses are the backbone of New Jersey," Brown said at a news conference at the office of his brother Rick's Evesham Mortgage Co. in the township's Marlton district.

"We want to make it more exciting and more profitable to be in New Jersey," Brown said.

The three-term mayor, who wore his diamond-studded 2013 Super Bowl ring to the news conference, said his PAC, "One Team, One Vision, One New Jersey," would explore ways that state agencies and local governments can speed the permit-approval process that small businesses need to navigate to start or expand their operations.

Brown, 48, ran as a Democrat in his first successful bid for mayor in 2007 but switched parties in 2010 after citing differences with the county and state Democratic leadership, including over tougher affordable-housing regulations approved under Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

"There's a total disconnect between me and the party," he said at the time.

Although sometimes combative with critics, in 2014 he won 62 percent of the vote in his bid for reelection. Evesham is home to numerous office buildings, and with a population of 45,000 is the largest municipality in Burlington County.

Brown is credited with advocating successfully for the reconstruction of the Marlton Circle at Routes 70 and 73, and for the creation of numerous athletic fields in the township.

Recently under his tenure, the township equipped local police with body cameras, and it has partnered with the ride-sharing service Uber to provide free rides to drivers who have been drinking. Last month, the Township Council and Brown sued the local school board to block its decision to close an elementary school.

Also serving on the PAC's board are Bill Layton, chairman of the Burlington County Republican Party; Donald Sico, former executive director of the General Assembly's then-Republican majority; and Rep. Chris Brown, a former Evesham councilman.

Created as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, the PAC will allow Brown to raise contributions to promote its stated cause while providing him with a vehicle to introduce himself to mayors and county leaders across the state.

"This way we can also find out what are the problems other towns and mayors are facing," he said after the news conference.

The PAC's website, www.oneteamonevisiononejersey.com, invites visitors to check boxes if they wish to "display a lawn sign," "host a meet and greet," "write a letter to the editor," or "walk precincts."

In April, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who has indicated interest in succeeding Gov. Christie, created the PAC "Building a Better New Jersey Together," and supporters of Democratic Senate President Stephen Sweeney last year formed the PAC "New Jerseyans for a Better Tomorrow."

In August, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, another Democrat with an eye on the governor's mansion, created the PAC "Coalition for Progress," which by February had reportedly raised more than $3.2 million, and Philip Murphy, a former U.S. ambassador to Germany and Goldman Sachs senior director, has formally announced his candidacy as a Democrat.

Layton described Brown as the Burlington County Republican Party's "favorite son," and said he believed the mayorship of a midsize South Jersey township was a sufficient springboard for a governorship run.

"Look at Jim McGreevey," he said, referring to the former Democratic governor who was previously three-term mayor of Woodbridge.

The new PAC "will give him visibility," Layton said of Brown. "It's a perfect vehicle."

doreilly@phillynews.com

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