Two former New Jersey political powerhouses joined NJTV’s Michael Aron on his weekly show, On the Record, this week to discuss the 2013 gubernatorial race, the 2014 U.S. Senate race and to reminisce about the good old days… the governors they served under and how the climate has changed in Trenton since the days when they held power.
Democrat Joe Doria served in the State Assembly from 1980-2004. He was Speaker in the 1990-1992 session. Doria left the Assembly after losing the Democratic primary in 2003. In 2004, he was elected by the Hudson Democratic Committee to fill the State Senate term vacated by the death of Senator Glenn Cunningham, who was also the mayor of Jersey City. Doria also served as mayor of Bayonne from July of 1998 through October of 2007. He resigned from the Senate and as mayor when Governor Jon Corzine nominated him to become the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, one of the most powerful Cabinet positions in the State. His public career came to a sudden end in July of 2009 when Corzine announced his resignation as DCA commissioner after his home was raided in the Operation Bid Rig sweep the resulted in 44 arrests. Doria was never arrested and the U.S Attorney’s Office cleared him of all charges in October of 2011.
Republican John Bennett is chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Committee. He served in the State Legislature for 24 years, 10 in the Assembly and 14 in the Senate. While a Senator, Bennett was co-president of the chamber with Richard Codey during first two years of the McGreevey administration. Bennett was Acting Governor for 3 1/2 days, during the week between the Whitman/DiFrancesco administration and the McGreevey administration when New Jersey had five governors…DiFrancesco, Codey, Bennett, former Attorney General John Farmer and McGreevey.
Bennett’s career as a senator came to an end after he was defeated at the polls by Ellen Karcher, then a member of the Marlboro Township Committee. The Asbury Park Press ran Bennett out of office with a relentless series of articles, over a period of months, over a billing irregularity while he was Marlboro’s Township Attorney. Bennett was cleared of any wrong doing by the Feds in March of 2007.
Bennett is collecting a $90,000 annual pension from his years in the legislature and a plethora of part time law appointments tacked together to provide a handsome income.
Carol Mazzola, right, with Selika Josiah Gore and Kim Guadagno during their 2009 campaign. facebook photo
Marlboro Councilwoman Carol Mazzola met with Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett prior to announcing her to run for reelection as a Democrat this fall. Mayor Jon Hornik was present at the meeting which took place in Freehold.
Mazzola told MoreMonmouthMusings that she met with Bennett out of respect for the chairman for whom she has great admiration. She said that Bennett attempted to pursuade her not to switch partys, but that her mind was already made upInflatable Slide.
The councilwoman, who is seeking her second term on the Marlboro Council, said she’s been struggling with the decision for many months. “In the end, I know I made the right decision for myself and for the citizens of Marlboro,” she said, “win lose or draw, I know I did the right thing.”
On Sunday, December 30, the New Leaders Council – New Jersey will partner with the Monmouth County Republicans, Monmouth County Democrats, New Jersey Young Republicans and New Jersey Young Democrats sponsoring a bi-partisan Hurricane Sandy relief concert at the Stone Pony from 1 – 7 PM.
“Keeping with the goals of the New Leaders Council, we wanted to bridge the political divide by bringing people together to help make a difference for those in need,” said Justin Braz, President of the New Leaders Council – New Jersey.
NJ 101.5 has agreed to help with promoting the event and Kevin McArdle will serve as emcee for the event. The event will feature multiple bands with a speaking program in between each set featuring elected officials and dignitaries. Confirmed bands for the event will include the B Street band, The Pat Roddy Band, Joe Orlando and the Cryers, Vinny Pastore and the Crazy Horse Band and Back Up Jackson.
“This is an excellent opportunity for putting aside partisan differences to help our friends and neighbors begin putting their lives back together,” said John Bennett, Chairman of the Monmouth County Republicans.
“We look forward to working with Chairman Bennett and Monmouth County Republicans to assist all of our neighbors across Monmouth County who were affected by this horrible storm. Monmouth Democrats and Republicans share the hope and determination to rebuild and restore our great County and State,” said Vin Gopal, Chairman of the Monmouth County Democrats.
Attendees can also bring Food and Cleaning Supplies for donation to the Monmouth Ocean County Food Bank.
“This is a great chance for our organizations to combine efforts for a worthy cause that will benefit our community,” said Tony Howley, Chairman of the New Jersey Young Republicans.
All proceeds raised at the event will be donated to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.
“We are proud to be a part of this effort raising awareness and funds to rebuild the Jersey shore and surrounding communities,” said Chris James, President of the New Jersey Young Democrats.
In their first quarters as party chairmen, Democrat Vin Gopal bested Republican John Bennett in the fundraising battle by over $10,000.
According to their reports filed with the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission, the Monmouth County Democrats raised $38,647.50. and spent $28,096.01. The Democrats started the quarter with only $957 in cash. As of September 30th they had $11,509.
The Monmouth GOP ended the quarter with almost $2,000 less cash than it had when Bennett was elected. The GOP reported raising $28,296 and spending $30,284. Former Chairman Joe Oxley left Bennett with $34,790. Of the $28K Bennett raised, $6000 was donated by the Election Fund of Assemblyman Dave Rible and $3000 was donated by Senator Jennifer Beck’s campaign account.
Gopal’s large donors were Local Union 400 IBEW ($3500), the Middletown Democrats ($1850), Plumbers and Pipe fitters Local Union #9 ($1000) and the Uliano Law Firm of West Long Branch ($1500).
Gopal raised $20,710 in contributions of $300 or less. Bennett raised $9,802 in donations of $300 or less.
“The Monmouth County Democrats are organizing at a grassroots level because residents across the county are beginning to realize there is a very clear difference between the two political parties,” said Gopal, “At our convention last June, we had a turnout of over 90% of our county committee with hundreds of new county committee members entering the political process, many of them first time contributors to our party,”
” With party standard bearers like Barack Obama, Bob Menendez and Frank Pallone, people see that we are building and we are organizing. The Monmouth County Democratic Party is fighting for middle-class taxpayers, fighting for small business owners and working to protect our environment. There is a clear difference between the two county parties and our messages and people across the county are beginning to recognize these differences.”
Monmouth GOP Chairman John O. Bennett III emailed a new “final draft” of proposed bylaws this afternoon. For the most part the draft released today is a match for the previous “final draft” released last week.
A quick read revealed one minor change to the candidate selection process that MMM suggested last week…an “open seat” seat is now defined as an office with no Republican incumbent. Previously “open seat” was undefined.
Bennett’s bylaws, both drafts, contain a major change that MMM’s research and investigative staff missed last week. He is proposing that that Chair and Vice Chair be elected annually. From Article IV, section 1:
The County Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be elected at the annual meeting called in accordance with law as described in Title 19. In the event a vacancy occurs in the position of County Chairman or Vice Chairman, a meeting of the County Committee shall be held within forty-five (45) days of said vacancy to fill the unexpired term. (emphasis added)
The term of the Monmouth County Chairs of both parties has been two years since the Florio Administration.
Bennett told MMM that the change was unintentional and that he realizes that the bylaws as proposed are not perfect. He said he intends to serve for two years. He plans on amending the bylaws at a convention in March of 2013.
The currently proposed bylaws will be up for adoption at a convention of the GOP County Committee that will take place on Saturday, September 29 from 9am-11am at Colts Neck High School.
Monmouth GOP Chairman John O. Bennett III is to be applauded for his endeavors to keep his campaign promises. In particular, his efforts to codify bylaws, a nagging issue that has stymied several previous chairmen, are worthy of praise.
A windbag is someone who talks too much yet contributes little of value. Someone who complains yet offers no solutions. At MMM we’re not windbags.
We have no intention of telling Bennett how to run the party or select candidates. He should do what he thinks is best in how he structures the party and selects candidates. If he does well, we’ll praise him. If he screws up, we’ll be all over him with glee. Not because we want him to fail, but because the web traffic will go through the roof. This is a business after all.
It is in the spirit of not being a windbag and in driving traffic to this site, that we offer a solution to the bylaws problem that will let Chairman Bennett run the party and select candidates how he sees fit. More importantly, our solution will not hamstring future chairs with unintended consequences of the bylaws as proposed.
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal issued a scathing statement to Politickernjcondemning Monmouth GOP Chairman John Bennett and 6th District Congressional nominee Anna Little for their decision to bring Christine O’Donnell to Monmouth County for a Little fundraiser next week.
“The Monmouth County Republican Party and their star candidate Anna Little are teaming up with the most extreme candidate ever to run for the U.S. Senate – an individual who openly talked about her involvement in witchcraft and who rejected the most basic theory of science, evolution,” Gopal said. “This is who extremist Anna Little and the Monmouth County Republicans are choosing to align themselves with and one has to wonder if they share Ms. O’Donnell’s views on evolution, witchcraft, women in the military and the countless issues in which she is out of touch with not just the residents in Monmouth County, but members of her own party. It becomes scarier everyday what a Congresswoman Anna Little would like.”
Gopal cited several of O’Donnell’s quotes made on Bill Maher’s Politically Incorrect TV show and the FoxNews O’Reilly Factor in making his case that O’Donnell is detached from the mainstream.
“Who do they think they’re going to get to pay $2500 to meet that lunatic?” Gopal said when reached by MMM.
Neither Bennett nor Little were immediately available for comment.
Anna Little, with good reason, has been taking credit for John Bennett’s election as Monmouth GOP Chairman. If not for Little endorsing her benefactor and encouraging the County Committee members who are also Tea Party activists to vote for Bennett, Christine Hanlon would be Chairwoman.
Little’s reward, whatever it is, will come sometime after she loses to Frank Pallone in November.
The biggest change that Bennett has made since taking over the helm of the Monmouth GOP six weeks ago is to start to make good on his campaign promise to raise the money necessary for county campaigns. He has informed the Monmouth GOP ticket of Freeholders John Curley and Serena DiMaso, as well as County Clerk Claire French, not to worry about rasing money for the fall campaign. He has instructed office holders not on the ballot this fall, including the legislative delegation and the sheriff, all of whom have campaigns next year, to suspend their fund raising activities effective August 1 so as not to compete with his efforts for the current campaign.
