New Jersey School Board Race Implodes After Threats Against Conservative Candidate

A New Jersey school board race has erupted into scandal after shocking text messages surfaced showing a candidate threatening and sexually harassing a conservative rival, prompting two liberal-aligned contenders to drop out of the race.

Danielle Bellomo, a conservative mother of three and sitting member of the Marlboro Township school board, was the target of vile and threatening texts allegedly written by fellow candidate Scott Semaya. A photo of Semaya’s phone revealed he sent crude messages about Bellomo’s body in a group chat ominously titled “ThisB****NeedsToDie.”

“Bellomo must be cold — her nips could cut glass right n–” one of Semaya’s messages read.

Bellomo told the New York Post that the messages went far beyond lewd comments, describing them as violent and deeply personal. “These text messages are the first time I was able to see they don’t want me alive,” she said. “Some of them describe very specific actions they want to do to me.”

Liberal Candidates Drop Out After Exposure

Semaya and his running mate Melissa Goldberg, who ran together under the “Collaborators for Responsible Education” (CORE) slate, both abruptly ended their campaigns following the scandal. Goldberg, who was not reportedly part of the group chat, cited “other responsibilities” for her withdrawal. Semaya claimed “family circumstances” were to blame.

“After what has been a grueling 18 months, I would like to share that Melissa Goldberg and Scott Semaya have dropped out of the election,” Bellomo announced on Facebook. “Hate has no place in Marlboro and the actions of Scott Semaya and the other men in that group chat should never be tolerated.”

The group chat also allegedly included Marlboro school board vice president Chad Hyett and the husband of another board member.

Mayor and Police Respond

Marlboro Township’s Democrat Mayor Jonathan Horn issued a strong condemnation of the messages, saying such behavior was “completely unacceptable” and those involved were “clearly not equipped to hold public office.”

“Violence and threats of violence against public officials are seemingly becoming normalized,” Horn wrote. “In only a few months’ time, we have witnessed an alarming escalation in this type of behavior to an extreme, culminating in the murder of Minnesota Representative Hortman and activist Charlie Kirk. This must stop.”

Horn confirmed that local police have launched an investigation into the group chat and the threats.

Bellomo thanked the mayor publicly for speaking out. “This means more to me and my family than you know,” she wrote in a post. “Please join me in thanking our mayor for denouncing hate, of any kind, in our town.”

A Disturbing Trend

The Marlboro scandal comes amid a growing wave of political hostility in local and state elections. Just weeks earlier, leaked text messages showed Democrat Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones fantasizing about murdering a Republican leader and his family. The revelation followed the high-profile assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, an event that has since prompted a national reckoning over political violence.

For many residents in Marlboro Township, the messages targeting Bellomo served as a grim reminder of how toxic school board politics — and American politics in general — have become.

“I ran to make schools better for my kids and everyone’s kids,” Bellomo said. “I never imagined I’d be fighting for my life.”