Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande
Dear County Committee Member,
On Saturday January 14th at 9:00am at Colts Neck High School (59 Five Points Rd., Colts Neck), you and other Monmouth County Republican Committee members will vote for the person who will replace Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
We are supporting Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso and we ask you to vote for her on Saturday. We have each known Serena for many years and believe her record of fiscal responsibility, her experience, and her temperament make her the best choice among the candidates.
Despite huge increases in costs like healthcare, fuel, and pension contributions and a significant loss of state aid, Holmdel’s current budget is only slightly higher than it was in 2007, a great example of Serena’s commitment to keep spending and taxes under control.
Serena’s political accomplishments are just as impressive. When the Holmdel Republican Party was going through some difficult times, Serena worked hard and won two contested primaries (2001 & 2007). She worked even harder to bring the party together after those tough victories, and today the Holmdel Republicans are united and a 4-1 majority on their Township Committee. The ability to bring people together and unite them for a common purpose is a very important attribute for our next Freeholder.
Experience is another attribute our next Freeholder will need. The County budget is nearly $500 million, with multiple large and complex departments and responsibilities. We believe Serena’s 10 years on the Holmdel Township Committee- especially the five she spent as Mayor- make her the candidate best equipped to deal with the complexities of county government.
Monmouth County is a wonderful place to live because of the vision and accomplishments of the great Republican Freeholders of the past. We believe Serena DiMaso will carry on that great Republican legacy in Monmouth County and we ask you to vote for her on Saturday January 14th at 9:00am at Colts Neck High School ( 59 Five Points Rd., Colts Neck)
After careful review of the Freeholder candidates at multiple forums as well as a review of facts and statistics from their hometowns and feedback from other like-minded, concerned, private sector taxpayers, I’d like to share the following opinions and observations:
Bob Walsh is a fiercely Independent Republican — despite being at odds with his local Republican committee, Bob forges ahead for the good of ALL taxpayers, and the good of the Republican party. Bob stands firm on his principles and convictions and is unyielding to “higher-ups” or those who would try to put road-blocks in front of him. His life story is one of overcoming hardships and diversity and that life experience gives him the ability to represent average, honest, working class people who also face the [currently dim] economic and social environment.
Bob Walsh is an open, honest and often blunt speaker — if anyone is unsure of where Bob stands on an issue, they should ask him. Bob is well informed and will consistently speak the honest truth, even if it is a controversial or a dissenting opinion, and not sugar-coat an issue simply to make people feel good or make friends. Bob does not shy away from confrontation but rather stands firm for what he believes in while being open to the facts and reality around us.
Bob Walsh has courage and political will — Bob has made every effort to work within the framework of the State Constitution and NJ state law to limit the size of his local government and make government more affordable. While major reforms are much needed in our system, those reforms must be made at the state level where Democrats control the Legislature in opposition to the principles we stand for as Republicans, and Bob has succeeded in working within the system we have to the benefit of taxpayers. Further, Bob Walsh will not be bullied by department heads, union bosses or other beneficiaries of the system as he has proven in his own town.
Bob Walsh is a fellow, Independent private sector taxpayer — Bob is not a public worker and his livelihood is not dependent on political outcomes. Bob has no conflicts of interest with his fellow taxpayers and is not a beneficiary of the public system. Public workers may despise him, and Democrats may attack his unique personality, but attacks on his conviction to principles and his defense of taxpayers will be without merit.
I thank all of the candidates, their supporters and the eventual Freeholder for answering my questions and I pledge my full support, time and dedication to whoever is elected, but it is these specific qualities, among others, that I see in Howell Mayor Bob Walsh that, in my humble opinion, make him stand out among the other candidates for Freeholder at this time. It is for these qualities, many of which I believe that I share in common with Mayor Walsh, that many of you have supported me in the past and I ask you to extend that support to Bob Walsh on Saturday January 14th, and again in November.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
James Hogan
Monmouth County Republican Committeeman
Long Branch District 10
The candidates to replace Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton on the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders will not address the Title 19 convention of Monmouth Republican Committee members when they convene on Saturday morning at Colts Neck High School.
Nominations will be accepted from the floor and then the balloting will commence.
Several party leaders told MMM that Chairman Joe Oxley decided on this agenda for the convention out of concern for maintaining a quorum. 50% plus one of the committee’s 770 members must be present during the voting in order for the election to be official.
There is talk among some committee members about making a motion from the floor to allow the candidates to speak.
There will be no problem obtaining a quorum of 386 if the candidates’ head counts are accurate. At a meet and greet hosted by the Atlantic Highlands Republican Committee last night, Howell Mayor Bob Walsh and Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso both told MMM they have 200 votes. Manalapan Township Committeeman Ryan Green said that he counting on at least 150 of the 300 GOP committee members he personally visited. MMM did not talk to Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle about his vote count.
The Monmouth County Republican Committee will be electing a Freeholder on Saturday, January 14, to fill the vacancy resulting from Freeholder Director Rob Clifton’s election to the State Assembly.
The candidates are Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso, Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle, Manalapan Committeeman Ryan Green and Howell Mayor Bob Walsh.
The worst kept secret in Monmouth County politics became news today when Politickernj reported that “Monmouth County GOP Chairman Joe Oxley is poised to leave his chairmanship for a superior court judgeship.”
Politickernj’s story is premature.
“If it happens, it won’t be during this legislative session,” said State Senator Joe Kyrillos, “Joe is an excellent chairman. Monmouth County is important to the party statewide going into 2012 and 2013.”
State Senator Jennifer Beck said she’d heard rumblings about an Oxley judicial nomination but assumed it was a rumor. “Joe has never mentioned an interest in being a judge,” said Beck, “there are three Republican and one Democratic vacancy on the Monmouth Court now. The workload is significant. About 60 lawyers have expressed interest in those positions, but the Chairman is not one of them.”
Rumors of Oxley moving to the Monmouth Vicinage were rampant in the legal community and among GOP politicos the week before Thanksgiving as several people who received calls from the State Police performing a background check on the former sheriff spread the word.
Oxley passed the background check, according to sources. The bar association and the Monmouth Senate delegation still need to give their blessings before Governor Chris Christie will announce the nomination, which must be confirmed by the Senate.
“Nothing is official until the Governor makes his nomination,” Oxley told MMM in November, “as of now, I am completing my term and running for reelection as Chairman.”
Speculation for Oxley’s successor as chairman has centered around State GOP Committeewoman Christine Hanlon, State GOP Treasurer and former Senate President John Bennett, and former Assemblyman Steve Corodemus.
A source close to the former Assemblyman told MMM that Corodemus does not want the position.
Bennett and Hanlon could not be reached for comment.
Jim Giannell, the Kingmaker without a portfolio, told MMM that he won’t be a candidate for chairman should Oxley get benched. Giannell ran for chairman against Adam Puharic in 2006.
Howell Chairman John Costigan, who challenged Oxley in 2010, also said that he would not be seeking the office.
Nice credible poll. Obvious it can be rigged. Read the site last night at about 11pm and Walsh had like 4 votes. And them whamo…overnight he gets 200 more. Yeah right.
Tim has a point. I laughed heartily first thing this morning when I saw that the Freeholder poll had 300 votes overnight. I checked the site statistics which revealed there was only 140 overnight visitors. Even though I set the poll up for only one vote per IP address and one vote per computer (by cookie) someone figured a way around that, which is not rocket science.
Manalapan Deputy Mayor Ryan Green told MMM that he is a candidate to fill Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton’s Freeholder seat when the Monmouth County Republican Committee holds its election on January 14th.
“I’m throwing my hat into the ring and we’ll see what happens,” said Green, “I think I have a lot I can contribute on the county level.” He said he was running on his record as an elected official in Manalapan since 2005, on both the school board and the township committee. ” We haven’t raised taxes in Manalapan over the last two years, a fact that I am very proud of.”
Green said his Freeholder candidacy won’t impact the incoming Manalapan Township Committee’s plan to elect him Mayor in January. “I’m not counting my chickens before they’re hatched. Manalapan’s reorganization is before the Title 19 convention. I have a great deal of respect for all of my opponents in the Freeholder race.”
Title 19 is the New Jersey statute that governs elections. It requires that vacancies for Freeholder be filled via a county committee election.
Green was encouraged by the positive feedback he received at a recent meeting of the Western Monmouth Republican Chairmen. However, the only chairman’s endorsement he is counting on is that of Manalapan’s Steve McEnry.
Wall Township Mayor Anne Marie Conte will not be a candidate for Freeholder when the Monmouth County Republican Committee meets on January 14 to elect a successor to Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton, according to Monmouth Republican Affiliated Club President and Wayne’s World Reporter Wayne Pomanowski.
Pomanowski said that Conte called him to asked that her photo and bio be removed from the Affiliated’s website. Reportedly Conte was stung by criticism from Wall Township residents, including an OpEd piece by 2010 Monmouth Democratic Sheriff candidate Eric Brophy published on the Wall Patch, that she was seeking higher office so soon after being reelected to the Township Committee.
Conte was not available for comment.
Pomanowski also said that Manalapan Deputy Mayor Ryan Green is definitely a candidate and that Hazlet Mayor Scott Aagre is close to entering the race. Green’s bio and photo are on the Affiliated site.
A strong argument could be made that the path to becoming a Monmouth County Freeholder goes through Red Bank realtor Jim Giannell’s office.
Since 2005 when he backed Colts Neck Mayor Lillian Burry, Giannell has picked every non-incumbent Freeholder nominee except two. One exception was Marlboro Councilman Jeff Cantor who replaced Freeholder Anna Little, a Giannell pick, on the ticket in 2007. Cantor lost a close election to Democrat John D’Amico and then left the Republican party for Jon Hornick’s Democratic organization in Marlboro. The other exception is John Curley. Curley was Giannell’s pick over Serena DiMaso in 2008. Curley narrowly lost to Amy Mallet in the Obama landslide. In 2009 Giannell backed Kim Spatola, a former Atlantic Highlands councilwoman over Curley. Curley prevailed at Joe Oxley’s first candidate selection screening and went on to defeat Sean Byrnes of Middletown in the 2009 Christie landslide in Monmouth.
With the election of Gary Rich earlier this month, 3.5, counting Curley, of five Freeholders owe their offices to Jim Giannell. If the former Red Bank municipal chairman’s pick in the current race to replace Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton, Howell Mayor Bob Walsh, is elected on January 14, Giannell will have picked all five members of the board.
While the Freeholders may owe their careers to Giannell, there is little, if any, evidence that he is a boss, in the classic New Jersey sense of the word. Once they take office, the Freeholders go their own way. Burry is supporting Anne Marie Conte over Walsh in the current race. Curley and Tom Arnone are staying out of the race for now.
Here is a list of Giannell’s picks for non-incumbent Freeholders since 2005:
2005: Lillian Burry. Burry ran with incumbent Bill Barham. Barham was elected at a Republican convention earlier in 2005 to replace long time Freeholder Director Harry Larrison. Even in the wake of the Operation Bid Rig scandal which tarnished the Republican brand, Barham and Burry defeated Democrats Barbara McMorrow and Rebecca Aaronson and Independent Brian Unger. The Republican victory was in large measure do to the Asbury Park Press’s call for voters to bullet vote for Unger. Back then the APP’s endorsement still had influence. Unger garnered over 18,000 votes. Burry’s margin of victory over McMorrow was only 1,792 votes.
2006: Anna Little and Andrew Lucas. Little was elected, by one vote, over Howell Mayor Joe DiBella at a convention to replace Amy Handlin who had been elected to the Assembly. Giannell managed Little’s campaign and her floor fight at the convention. A month later at a contentious multiple ballot nominating convention, Giannell and candidate Terrence Wall threw their support to Lucas in an anti-establishment move against DiBella and then Chairman Fred Neimann. Little went on to win the rest of Handlin’s unexpired term in the general election. Lucas lost to Barbara McMorrow.
2007: Giannell did not have a candidate. Little, his successful pick in 2006, spent a contentious year battling with Chairman Puharic and Freeholder Director Barham. Little declined to seek the nomination rather than submit to Puharic’s rules for screening and the convention. Cantor was selected to join incumbent Rob Clifton on the ticket. Clifton won. Cantor lost to Democrat John D’Amico.
2008: John Curley was Giannell’s pick over Serena DiMaso who had the backing of Chairman Adam Puharic. Burry was Curley’s running mate. In a photo finish election dominated by Obamamania, Burry prevailed and Curley lost to Amy Mallet on the count of provisional ballots. Democrats took control of the Freeholder Board for the first time in 20 years.
2009: Giannell backed Chairman Joe Oxley in supporting Atlantic Highlands former Councilwoman Kim Spatola over Curley. McMorrow was up for reelection and was considered a lock to be reelected. Nominating a woman, given the pro woman gender gap demonstrated by Burry and Mallet’s 2008 victories was considered the only hope of defeating McMorrow. Just before the nominating meetings for both parties, McMorrow announced she would not seek another term. Curley won a roll call vote at Oxley’s first screening selection. The Democrats scrambled to find a candidate to replace McMorrow, settling on Byrnes from Middletown over Mike Beson of Neptune Township. Curley defeated Byrnes and Republicans won back control of the Board.
2010: Giannell’s pick, Tom Arnone, narrowly defeated former Middltown Committeeman Tom Wilkens and Spring Lake Councilman Gary Rich. Arnone and incumbent Rob Clifton went on to defeat D’Amico and Spring Lake Councilwoman Janice Venables.
2011: Giannell backed Rich over Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas, who had Burry’s support, Walsh, and Wall Township Committeeman George Newberry. Rich won the nomination with 25 votes in the screening committee. Lucas has 23 votes and Newberry 22. Walsh withdrew before the polling. Rich and incumbent Burry went on the defeat Mallet and newcomer William Shea earlier this month.
2012? Monmouth County Republicans have not had a nominating convention of all county committee members since 2008. It remains to be seen if Giannell can pull off another close race. Don’t bet the house against Bob Walsh.
