Marty Small Jr

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Jr. isn't going anywhere.

Small was re-elected Tuesday, Nov. 4, defeating Republican Naeem Ahmed Khan with 62.48% of the vote, results show. Small received 4,748 votes to Khan’s 2,851, with all districts reporting.

Small, who has served as mayor since 2019, is awaiting trial on Dec. 1 in a child endangerment case involving his wife, La’Quetta Small, the superintendent of Atlantic City Public Schools.

The couple was indicted on second-degree child endangerment charges earlier this year. Prosecutors allege they engaged in physical and emotional abuse of their teenage daughter between December 2023 and January 2024.

During his victory speech Tuesday night, Small referenced the April 2024 raid on his home that led to his arrest, saying Atlantic City “knows” him and stood by him through the controversy.

"This was over a family matter," Small said about the raid. "This was about electronics. They sent more cops to my house than they do kingpins... 20 officers, guns drawn... They had no mercy.”

Small said people had the chance to distance themselves from his campaign after the arrest but chose not to.

“Just like this [re-election] happened, the victory in the courtroom is going to happen," Small said after his win. "They’re going to be sorry that they did this. So, we’ve endured a whole lot. This is the 23rd straight year I’ve been elected in office uninterrupted — despite former trials and tribulations, the people clearly believe in me."

Small was first appointed mayor in 2019 following the resignation of Frank Gilliam, then elected outright in 2020 and again in 2021. His new term begins in January, about one month after his trial is scheduled to start.