William Palatucci and Virginia Haines will seek new terms as New Jersey’s representatives to the Republican National Committee when the New Jersey Republican State Committee meets on Saturday in Atlantic City. The State Republican Committee meeting will take place during the NJ GOP’s annual Statewide Leadership Summit.
Shaun Golden and U.S. Senate candidate Rik Mehta at the Golden Gala
Bill Palatucci, New Jersey’s Republican National Committeeman, was showing U.S. Senate candidate Rik Mehta around the Golden Era Gala on Friday night, which surprised me because Hirsh Singh has been touting the Republican National Commiteeman’s endorsement for the nomination to take on Senator Cory Booker for months.
“I’m trying to get Eli Manning to run,” I told Palatucci when he asked me if I knew Mehta. Bill laughed and without missing a beat said, “Is that going to happen? Just it case it doesn’t, you should know Rik Methta.” Read the rest of this entry »
It’s become a winter tradition that Monmouth County Republicans can mark their calendars by. Shaun Golden’s annual Starry Night Celebration is on the last Friday of January followed by the Monmouth GOP’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner two weeks later.
The atmosphere was electric on Friday night in Freehold where over 500 enthusiastic Republicans gathered at Southgate Manor for the annual celebration of America’s first Republican president and the annual kickoff of signature gathering for candidates’ petitions.
New Jersey’s sole remaining Republican in Congress, Rep Chris Smith, received a spontaneous standing ovation when Golden noted his arrival from a Friday voting session in Washington. Smith in turn acknowledged the strong Monmouth Republican team that held back the blue wave that swept the rest of New Jersey in last fall’s election and specifically congratulated Golden, not for politics, but for outstanding government. The Sheriff was honored in Washington last year, Smith noted, for leading the best 911 call center in the country.
Ben Dworkin, Director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics, introduces U.S. Senate candidate Steve Lonegan at a September 24, 2013 event.
Rider University’s Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics has cancelled its 2013 Campaign Managers Conference. The annual event is designed as a open discussion of the previous year’s general election featuring key players from each party.
The recent scandals over the George Washington Bridge lane closures and allegations that the Christie Administration has been dolling out federal Sandy relief money with political and economic strings attached is the reason for the cancellation of this year’s event which was schedule for Thursday, February 20th.
Benjamin Dworkin, Executive Director of the Institute issued the following statement:
The 2013 gubernatorial campaign in New Jersey was a fascinating race, and we had eagerly looked forward to focusing on this particular race during the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics’ Campaign Managers Conference – our annual look at how modern campaigns are run.
Unfortunately, due to recent controversies and ongoing investigations, it has become clear that a full discussion of the campaign is not possible at this time. Therefore, the Rebovich Institute has chosen to cancel the conference.
We want to thank all of our panelists, including Hon. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Hon. Bill Palatucci, Adam Geller, David Turner and Michael DuHaime for their willingness to participate. We look forward to a meaningful discussion of this campaign at some point in the future.
We apologize for any inconvenience to our panelists, supporters, and for all others planning to attend this event.
The next public event for the Rebovich Institute will be Leadership & Comedy: An Evening with Hon. Jon Bramnick, NJ Assembly Republican Leader, on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at 7 p.m.
Governor Chris Christie’s reelection campaign announced today that they will not be accepting taxpayer funds for the primary election.
“In response to Governor Christie’s decisive leadership and clear record of historic, bipartisan reform, we’ve seen an unprecedented level of financial support from donors across all 21 counties in New Jersey. This positive reaction during such a short period of time only continues to grow daily which is why Governor Christie’s campaign has decided not to pursue matching funds for this primary election cycle” said Bill Palatucci.
“I would also like to thank Todd Christie, Jon Hanson and the entire finance committee for their continued efforts. They have been a tremendous help in reaching the campaign’s fundraising goals.”
Christie’s campaign reported raising $2.139 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and $2.08 million cash on hand.
Bayshore Tea Party Group Leaders, Frank Gonzalez, Barbara Gonzalez, Lynn Gordon and Bob Gordon at the Monmouth County Lincoln Day Dinner. Photo Credit: Rhoda Chodosh
There were at least unhappy four people of the approximately 500 Republicans celebrating Lincoln Day in Monmouth County last night.
Bayshore Tea Party Group Co-founders, Barbara Gonzalez and Bob Gordon, along with their opposite sex spouses, Frank Gonzalez and Lynn Gordon stood up during Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno’s speech and quietly walked out of the Shore Casino in Atantic Highlands.
The Tea Partiers were upset about the support of Mitt Romney expressed by Guadagno and other speakers.
In an email to BTPG members sent after the event, Gonzalez said,
Some of us attended the Lincoln Dinner this evening, which is a republican event, held at the Shore Casino.
Four of us walked out during Lt Governor’s speech. Why?
Well, first, one speaker got up and told us how no other candidate is worth a crap and how Romney is the only one we should support. Then, the Lt Governor got up and spewed the same garbage.
The four of us that walked out were appalled. This was a disgraceful way for the republican party to act. There are three other candidates running on the republican ticket. How dare they.
That being said, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to let them dictate who we should be voting for? Whether you support Gingrich, Santorum or Paul, you should hopefully be working your butt off for them.
We are actively doing some work for Santorum from the office if anyone is interested. Helene is the county leader, so contact her or reply to me if you want to help. I can tell you this….my passion to have Santorum win has just been increased by what I saw this evening.
Hell hath no fury like a woman being told who to vote for!
Other speakers who spoke in support of Romney were New Jersey National Republican Committeeman Bill Palatucci and Congressman Chris Smith.
I HAVE NEWS FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF NEW JERSEY: ROMNEY IS NOT THE ONLY CANDIDATE IN THIS RACE AND IT WAS DISGRACEFUL TONIGHT AT THE LINCOLN DINNER. I AM ASHAMED TO BE A REPUBLICAN. THEY SAID WE ALL HAD TO VOTE FOR ROMNEY AND THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN WIN. WELL, HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS!!! YOU JUST GAVE THE TEA PARTY A SHOT OF ADRENALINE! AGAIN, THAT WAS TOTALLY DISGRACEFUL.