Scharfenberger withdraws from LD 13 Assembly race
photo via facebook
Monmouth County GOP Chairman Shaun Golden told MMM that Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger has withdrawn as a candidate for Assembly in the 13th legislative district.
“Mayor Scharfenberger called and told me that he will not be filing a Letter of Intent,” Golden said. “Gerry is a competitor. I appreciate what it took for him to step down for the good of the Party. Gerry is a great mayor of one of the best run towns in the State of New Jersey. He has a great future ahead of him.”
Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, the presumptive GOP nominee for State Senate in the 13th legislative district, also said he talked to Scharfenberger.
“Gerry was very gracious in stepping down and giving us the room for form a united ticket going into the convention,” O’Scanlon said. “We have gotten to know each other a lot better during this campaign. Our relationship will serve the people of Middletown and the entire 13th district very well. I look forward to working with Gerry and the entire Middletown Township Committee in representing the interests of the Township’s citizens when I’m in the Senate.”
“Senator Joe Kyrillos is leaving me huge shoes to fill. I am well aware that Joe’s retirement from the Senate is a big loss for Middletown. I will work everyday to fill Joe’s shoes.
More from my site
Massell Endorses O’Scanlon for Senate in LD 13
Marchese drops out of LD 13 Assembly race, Endorses Handlin and DiMaso
Fiore endorses O’Scanlon for Senate in LD 13
Hazlet Mayor Sue Kiley Endorses O’Scanlon, Handlin and DiMaso in LD 13
Breaking….Amy Handlin drops Senate bid, Will run for reelection for Assembly- Massell Endorses O’Scanlon for Senate in LD 13
- Are All 3 Seats in LD 13 at play? Handlin and O’Scanlon appear to be headed to a primary
- Marchese drops out of LD 13 Assembly race, Endorses Handlin and DiMaso
- Hazlet Mayor Sue Kiley Endorses O’Scanlon, Handlin and DiMaso in LD 13
Vicky Flynn is running for the Assembly seat currently held by Serena DiMaso
that’s a loss: you can’t find a nicer person and a more bright, dedicated public servant than Gerry. Looks like we all might as well just sit down, shut up, and let the “leadership” inform us of whom we are to support, from now on.
That may be true. Just grateful NO BOB WALSH although watching that bumbling boob at the convention dribble all over himself would have been priceless!
attacking a fellow Republican. You don’t have to support or like someone, but what gain is there, in giving the other side any more nastiness than they can make up, and spread, about us?? All these personal attacks do, is show there is little difference between us and, say, the Obamaites and Clintonistas, who are the top horrible political hit squads, (and continue to be so,) of all time!
Right OMG. He was the strongest candidate by far. Why even bother having a convention?
This is bull. Why was he forced out before the convention? Why doesn’t the COUNTY COMMITTEE get a choice? The best candidate is no longer running – shameful.
Under the circumstances, Mayor Scharfenberger’s decision is understandable yet I am a bit disappointed. I recently saw him speak at a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new hiking trail in Middletown and was very impressed as was the large crowd. My wife Andrea and I saw him again at a presentation by the FEDs in Atlantic Highlands about slump block issues. The man is everywhere and his knowledge of local and state issues is exceptional.
Certainly Middletown is the best run big town in NJ and Doctor Scharfenberger has played a large role over the last years. With 70,000 residents, Middletown has not only maintained the quality of life but is again thriving after being devastated by Super Storm Sandy. Managing the budget, number of employees and numerous projects in a town of this size provides a background that addresses every issue he would face as a legislator. As the Director of the Office for Planning Advocacy just tops off his incredible experience.
Mayor Scharfenberger is a class act. The man is an experienced leader. Not the end of this story.
This is what Ive learned. If you are a true conservative with a record of accomplishments you will always lose to the RINOs.
How did this happen? Scharfenberger was the strongest candidate in the field bar none he could’ve walked away with it.
Sad day when the best candidate out there just “dropped” out. #ourloss
So because the sitting assemblywoman didn’t have the spine to face her competitor, Mayor Scharfenberger has to bow out for the incumbent? How is this fair?
AS Trump would say the systems rigged!!!!
Dropping out just because a party boss wants his way is totally wrong. This is a selfish move by Gerry and I say that because this wasn’t all about him. There were people from multiple areas who were counting on him to run. Now the County Committee is outraged, but at least the one person at the top got his way. Gerry had persuaded all of Atlantic Highlands to vote for him at the convention and for good reason! He spoke so eloquently when my husband and I met him plus I hear great things about Middletown. This is a major loss for our party and sets a dangerous precedent for future political activity. I am glad Declan will be our candidate for Senator but trust me people are absolutely furious about Gerry being forced out of the convention by the party bosses. He should have had the chance to compete. Gerry should not have submitted to whatever pressure the leader gave him! This is very similar to what happened with Trump. Only difference is when the establishment tried to ruin him, he resisted because he’s tough. Gerry = no backbone. Run Gerry run!
Not sure I would call someone selfish who was put in a no win situation and chose to take a huge hit for the good of the party. It is clear that those in power set this whole thing up. There’s your culprits Marlene. If anything it shows what a class act this guy is and what a loss it is for ld 13.
and again, we are grateful to Art for giving the opportunity to share thoughts about the many dynamics whirling around this place we call home. ( for now, as it’s getting too crowded and expensive, but that’s for another day!) Am not in that district, but, look, it isn’t the only place where things got rapidly pre- determined, this year. It will be up to the membership to determine whether these methods and tactics are really the way we want things to go. Suggest staying engaged, and to keep clearly expressing opinions, or it will continue to enfold thus.
I have to concur with recents above. This is not a selfish man he is a victim of power-crazy leadership that’s all. I wouldn’t go as far to say that Mayor Scharfenberger SHOULD be the assemblyman (even though he’s my choice) he just should have been allowed to compete. This is very wrong it’s like the leaders don’t care about what the “little” committee members think. I spoke with many folks at the dinner last night and our party is dividing over this. We need to fix it quick or we will find ourselves losing to the democrat.
it was clear that a new direction was either wanted or cajoled out of members, at the time. The question now is, what are the motivating factors for this cycle’s actions already this year, and, are some of them going to ultimately result in polarization and more defeats, on different levels? Only the numbers after the Nov. 7 election will tell. But, we don’t want it to be too late, and no one has a crystal ball. We do have mirrors, however, to look at ourselves and think about what we are doing. We do still have voices, and discussion, and votes- and, the ability to let the sun shine in, rather than hide in small places in shadows.
i’ve had about as much as I can take of this garbage. Unless the chairman gives me a damn good reason why this guy was pushed out of the race I will sleep late on the 18th rather than attend the farce he calls a convention.
I’ve called Monmouth Republican Party and Mayor Scharfenberger’s office numerous times and have been unable to reach anyone. I and obviously a huge amount of other people in this network want answers. Mafia political power brokering is disgusting. The chairman should be absolutely ashamed of himself. Amy Handlin was too afraid to face a referendum. Now if I have this correct they cannot hold a county committee vote unles more than 25% of members are present. We should consider boycotting this convention and letting it die on its own merits. This should be easy enough considering the obvious outrage and the fact that nobody wants to support a corrupt process like this. and also if Chairman Golden is exposed as the perpetrator of this situation then it is unlikely he will even be elected dog catcher let alone reelected chairman of the republican party
I was at the Trump rally on Saturday and mayor scharfenberger stopped by. He said hello to everyone who was there and spoke with the organizers for about 20 minutes. I can see why people love this guy. what I can’t see is why he is not going to be the candidate for assembly. He was the only elected official that showed up at least while I was there and I was there for most of the rally.
after all his good service, he just doesn’t fit their grand plan/ narrative. Sad.
Very sad to hear that Gerry Scharfenberger is not running. He would have made an awesome assemplyman.
I had him as a professor and he was one of the best professors in the school. Even though I am not in district 13 I may write his name in protest.
Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble on the let’s overthrow the party establishment hysteria but all of this over analysis might be in jeopardy: I personally know from 2 sources close to Gerry that he plans on filing for the primary, simply forgoing the convention process. If this is true his name will be on the ballot in june for assembly and you can all go bananas supporting him then. This story makes sense too if you look very closely at the wording of this article. It only concerns the nominating convention, never mentioning that Gerry was backing out of the primary process all together
The word is that Gary was overloaded due to work and he wasn’t doing his job as Freeholder. So maybe buddy, there are two sides to the story.
And Lil Timmy H, you are starting to embarrass yourself with your constant attacks on Walsh.
And again, to the Popkin wing of the party, stop being snowflakes and whiners. You are never seen doing work lately at the County HQ. I swear, all you want to do is be part of the Country Club Club, Socialite Crowd.
If you don’t like the way things are going, have the guts to run for something. or run for Chair. Otherwise, quit trying to disrupt a Party that’s winning.
Don’t blame him, and good luck to him, but we all know people not given the county party line, rarely win! Don’t be disingenuous: it is pretty clear the fix and plan has been in, for a while, for whatever the concocted logic and reasoning is.
I don’t think that post was referring to Gary Rich since the article is about Mayor Scharfenberger. Either way it’s obvious that the chairman had it in for both of them
am sad for you, that you seem to think rushing for another title is anyone else’s burning ambition: some have had, and performed in, more” titles” than you will have the interest and time to obtain, in your career. As though “titles” are so necessary to have a happy and fulfilled life. When you are done earning all the perks and money and power you can squeeze out of the next few years, it will likely be you feeling it is never enough, while you wander around the golf courses that many aren’t, or, were never, in. As far as ” disrupting” anything, if a few bloggers and posts on one blog are so upsetting and disruptive to your sensibilities, then, how strong and @winning” are you, really? More than sad, actually approaching, small and pathetic. Ps: am rather confident that your calling fellow Republicans ” snowflakes,” when everyone knows it is a derisive term for the Never- Trumpers and socialist media, entertainers, professors and students of today, only indicates that your continuing need for self aggrandizement usurps both accuracy and reason.