​ An Eagle Scout with a passion for public service, Don moved to South Jersey after graduating from Upsala College to help run a Boy Scouts camp in the Pinelands. By 1992, Don had rescued the organization's finances and felt called to use those same skills to better serve the struggling city he now called home.

​ Over the next two decades, Don ran the Special Improvement District (SID) which oversees the day-to-day upkeep of Atlantic City. At SID, Don earned a reputation for consistently delivering high-quality services that enhanced life in an urban environment. But while Don balanced SID's budget for 20 years, he watched city hall pile up a mountain of debt. Against all odds, Don was elected mayor in 2013 in a city with just 10% Republican registration by uniting people around a shared goal of restoring Atlantic City's former glory. The next year, four casinos folded, 10,000 workers were laid off, and the city's deficit hit $100 million. Monopoly City teetered on bankruptcy and many doubted its survival, but Mayor Guardian believed in Atlantic City, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work. He cut the budget by $40 million, trimmed bloated government by 400 jobs, and froze any proposed tax increases. When the state took over the city, Mayor Guardian battled Trenton to ensure Atlantic City got its fair share. Meanwhile, he repaved the roads, rebuilt the boardwalk, reduced violent crime by 20%, and brought in major investments to put Atlantic City back on the path to prosperity.

Having earned a reputation as a no-nonsense executive, Don was selected as the business administrator for Toms River in 2017. A proven leader with a record of success making government work for the taxpayer, Don will be a voice in Trenton for small government, individual liberty, and fiscal sanity. But no matter who you vote for, Don will stand with anyone working to put Atlantic County first. Don remains actively involved in local organizations that bring our community together, including the Boys & Girls Club, New Jersey Downtown Association, and Rotary. A bicyclist, beachgoer, and bow tie enthusiast, Don lives with his husband, Louis Fatato, in the South Inlet neighborhood of Atlantic City.