A glitzy celebrity hairstylist who once appeared on a reality TV show is now running as a GOP commissioner candidate.
Martino Cartier, 51, the owner of a salon in Washington Township, New Jersey, is seeking to become Gloucester County commissioner.
The TV personality, who appeared on season 1 of Tabatha's Salon Takeover, owns a nonprofit foundation where he helps to give confidence to women affected by cancer. His slogan is 'wigs and wishes'.
Cartier is running against Jim Jefferson, Joann Gattinelli and Matthew Weng.
During his spell on TV in 2008, Cartier flaunted his spending but also admitted to struggles with debt.
'I do have a lavish lifestyle. I have a Corvette and an Escalade. I like nice clothes. I love taking people out; I have parties for my staff all the time,' Cartier stated.
Cartier then talked about his financial troubles: 'I'm $300,000 in debt. I had to borrow money from my mom and take out a second mortgage on my house just to keep the salon afloat.'
Cartier was born and named Baby Boy Ayad; his Irish-American adoptive parents then changed his name to Martin Clinton Maguire Jr.
A glitzy celebrity hairstylist who once appeared on a reality TV show is now running as GOP candidate for county commissioner
Martino Cartier, 51, the owner of a salon in Washington Township, New Jersey, is seeking to become Gloucester County commissioner
Cartier has more than 25,000 followers on Instagram and garnered 95,000 views from a video he made with singer Katy Perry that showed him dancing alongside cancer patients
In 1999, Cartier changed his name to Martino Ayad Cartier.
Cartier has more than 25,000 followers on Instagram and garnered 95,000 views from a video he made with singer Katy Perry that showed him dancing alongside cancer patients.
He titled the video 'Send Cancer To Hell,' which he described as a 'call to action for all those who have been touched by cancer in one way or another.'
'From capturing LIVE footage of a lion (aptly named Beast) to artist Liv Devine recording Katy Perry's "Roar," Martino Cartier envisioned this video as a prophetic outcry against this horrible disease,' Cartier wrote.
Cartier frequently criticizes county administrator and former New Jersey Senate president Stephen Sweeney on social media.
Cartier claimed his priority would be trying to fire Sweeney if he were to be elected.
Sweeney has accused Cartier of once being convicted of committing insurance fraud.
Cartier responded on Facebook: 'There was an insurance fraud for a car that happened in Philadelphia. I was a single dad and I wasn't gonna rat anybody out.'
The hairdresser claimed he was pushed into pleading guilty to theft by deception with a car.
'I paid it all back and it was administratively dismissed,' he said.
Cartier took to his social media accounts to promote early voting to his viewers: 'We're not sitting around waiting for change. We're fighting for it'
Cartier was once warmly celebrated by Washington Township Democrats. He was honored as a local hero in a parade and presented with a community service award by Democratic Congressman Donald Norcross in 2021.
He also shared a history of mutual support with current opponent Joann Gattinelli, though Cartier says those ties were severed when he launched his campaign.
Cartier took to his social media accounts to promote early voting to his viewers: 'We're not sitting around waiting for change. We're fighting for it.'
