Hari Eppanapally Withdraws From CD-6 Race
In an email to Middlesex and Monmouth County Republican Chairmen Sam Thompson and John Bennett, Hari Eppanapally withdrew his name from consideration for the nomination for Congress from the 6th congressional district this afternoon.
In his letter which can be read in its entirety here, Eppanapally said he made the decision to withdraw in the best interests of the GOP so that the party can put up a united fight against the incumbent, Congressman Frank Pallone, by rallying behind one candidate.
“Looking at the big picture and being a responsible leader, I feel the party’s time and energy should be spent on the main election to win this race rather than diluting it on a primary which may divide the party.”
Anthony Wilkinson, an attorney from Old Bridge, is now the only candidate seeking the Republican Party endorsements at the Middlesex and Monmouth GOP conventions which will be held tomorrow morning. Monmouth’s convention is at Freehold Township High School at 9am, Middlesex’s at Royal Albert’s Palace in Fords at 10..
Eppanapally said the GOP in CD-6 and nationally should focus on Health Care, Education and the Economy.
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Eppanapally offered an explanation for his support of Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula’s 2012 congressional candidacy against Congressman Leonard Lance in the 7th congressional district.
I want to clarify my support to Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula during his 2012 Congressional race from NJ CD7. He is a
very close long-time friend of mine. I decided to support him purely on a personal level, not because of his Party affiliation. I
want to stand corrected on this so that people do not have any misunderstanding on my belief in Republican principles.
Eppanapally did not offer an explanation of his $2500 contribution to President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign in his letter.
MMM stands by its endorsement of Eppanapally for the Democratic nomination in CD-6.
Pallone can be beat in a primary, as Cory Booker proved last August in the Special Senate Primary. More importantly, Pallone’s campaign war chest was depleted by about 75% in that primary last year. Eppanapally can force Pallone to spend his resources while defending his Democratic nomination while the GOP candidate, presumably Wilkinson baring an unknown primary contestant, raises funds for the fall campaign. If Eppanapally agrees to enter the Democratic Primary, MMM will lead his petition drive to get him on the ballot.
UPDATED
Eppanapally told MMM that he became interested in challenging Pallone after being approached by the National Republican Congressional Committee. NRCC presented Eppanapally with statistics showing that almost 300,000 Indian Americans live in Middlesex County, over 100,000 of them in CD-6 and argued, based upon Anna Little’s 2010 performance against Pallone, that an Indian American candidate could swing enough votes to beat Pallone. Eppanapally said that he would only seek the nomination if there was no primary challenge. When Wilkinson got in the race and made it clear he would run a primary campaign regardless of the outcome of the Monmouth and Middlesex GOP conventions, Eppanapally bowed out.
Labels and List’s analysis of the 2010 U.S. Census Data indicates that there are 21,069 voters of Indian/South East Asian descent in CD-6.
Eppanapally told MMM that his $2500 donation to President Obama’s reelection campaign was the price of a ticket to an event at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in 2011 that he attended as an employee of Financial Policy Council Inc. Obama spoke at the event. He said he was unaware that the event was an Obama fundraiser when he attended.
Eppanapally said he would not challenge Pallone in the Democratic primary.
UPDATED AGAIN
Eppanapally called to clarify his earlier remarks about his $2500 contribution to President Obama’s reelection campaign and the event at the Waldorf-Astoria. He said that his attendance at the event was “on the personal level” and not as an employee of Financial Policy Council Inc. He said he wrote a personal check to the Obama campaign to attend the event. Asked how he could not know that he was contributing to the Obama campaign or attending an Obama fund raisers if he wrote a check to the Obama campaign, Eppanapally said, “It doesn’t matter.”
More from my site
Old Bridge Attorney Seeks GOP Nomination in CD-6
Lonegan Should Challenge Pallone
Golden Not Running Against Pallone- Little not running against Pallone
Pallone has less than $1 million in campaign cash
Eck Preparing To Challenge Holt In CD 12
A Kumbaya Moment
CD-6 Primary: It will all come down to turnout
Candidate For GOP Nomination Against Pallone Is Democratic Fundraiser/Donor
Cullari Considering Congressional Bid
Eppanapally should have known ahead of time he would not be well received due to his donations and associations.
I wonder if he had done some polling among county committee people to find out just that.
I like your thinking Art, Operation Chaos style for N.J. Other than that, I wish Mr. Wilkerson good luck.
– another example how frighteningly out of touch the RNC and the RNCC, controlled by the ineffective, entrenched “leader,” Boehner, truly are: buying into some “Indian” population statistics,without vetting the man’s connections and past associations, shows a lack of savvy and research capabilities that can only lead to more losses than gains in 2014, in both houses.. -when we should be making huge gains due to the lies and deceptions and wrecking of our country this administration is inflicting on us,every single day!.. Mr. Wilkerson appears to be a bright and very capable man who will give Frank a good run, and he deserves all the support his own state and district, and the real people in them, can give him! God! This should not be so hard!!! Get with it, GOP!
Hey Art, just curious/hoping you can clarify this: “Eppanapally told MMM that his $2500 donation to President Obama’s reelection campaign was the price of a ticket to an event at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in 2011 that he attended as an employee of Financial Policy Council Inc. ”
Is that the same basic issue/problem that Birdsall had/has? I’ve always been a strictly a small-business employee and have certainly never attended a $2500 conference, but if I did, I’d assume the company re-reimburses employees for their ticket to such an event? Or are some of these guys paid so much that a $2500 ticket to an event at the Waldorf is as expected as me picking up the tab for a $12 pizza for the guys in my little department?
That’s a good question, Can you clarify.
I did not ask Hari if he was reimbursed for the ticket. I figured there was not much chance of Eric Holder’s Justice Department doing anything about it, even if there was anything improper.
That and I was surprised that he said he didn’t know the event was an Obama fundraiser.
Did his checks to the Middlesex GOP and Monmouth GOP clear?
Just another RINO opportunist. He must think we’re a bunch of morons to believe his horse manure. Of course now he’s covering his tracks because he doesn’t want to incriminate himself for violating election law. Aside from that his explanation for donating to Chivukala is more horse manure. I don’t care how close they are as personal friends, that doesn’t mean he has to donate to a political campaign. I’m sure Art has lots of close friends who are Democrats but that doesn’t mean he’s obligated to give them money. For all I know Art and Frank Pallone are BFFs but I’d be shocked if Art donated so much as one penny to Pallone’s campaign. More likely this “close, personal friend” of Chivukala gave him money as favor for favor. Chivukala is an influential member of the Democratic controlled Assembly, and that’s the reason he gave him money.
Put up your name as a candidate or shut up.