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Republican Romp in Monmouth County

Shaun, Tom, SerenaMonmouth County voters overwhelming elected  Sheriff Shaun Golden and Freeholder Director Tom Arnone to second terms yesterday.  Deputy Freeholder Director won her second election in as many years, earning her first full term as a freeholder.  DiMaso was elected last year to complete the term of Assemblyman Rob Clifton.

Golden defeated criminal defense attorney Rueben Scolavino  with 102,840 votes. 58,923 people voted for Scolavino.

Only Governor Chris Christie, who earned 70.6% of the vote in Monmouth County, 122,928, outpolled Golden.

Freeholders Arnone and DiMaso bested their Democratic opponents Brian Froelich of Spring Lake and Larry Luttrell of Holmdel by an almost 2-1 margin.  Arnone got 98,832 votes, Dimaso 95,829.  Froelich, who ran for the House of Representative against Congressman Chris Smith last year came in third with 58,450 votes and Luttrell, who was endorsed by the Asbury Park Press, received  56,394 votes.

In the legislative races, Republicans dominated.

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Posted: November 6th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 2013 Election, Monmouth County | Tags: , , , , , , , | 12 Comments »

Predictions

Fortune-tellerGovernor Chris Christie will be reelected with 59.9875% of the vote.  In Monmouth County, Christie-Guadagno will win 68% of the vote.

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden will be elected with 69% of the vote.

Freeholders Tom Arnone and Serena DiMaso will win by 68% and 68.4%, respectively. DiMaso’s extra votes will be attributable to the negative ads the Monmouth County Dems have run against her, and prove that the Asbury Park Press’s endorsement is meaningless.

Brian Froelich will get more votes for Freeholder than Larry Luttrell gets, proving that the Asbury Park Press’s endorsement is meaningless and that negative advertising doesn’t beat a quality incumbent.

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Posted: November 4th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 2013 Election | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Freeholders never took illegal contributions

John Bennett

John Bennett

By John Bennett, Monmouth County Republican Chairman

I am writing in response to the July 13 oped written by Monmouth County Democratic freeholder candidate Brian Froelich, “County purchasing still murky, post-Birdsall.”

From the first sentence to the last, I am disappointed that Froelich has chosen to take an opportunity as a political candidate to make not only misstatements but outright false statements concerning the actions being conducted in Monmouth County.

As to his first statement, that each Monmouth County freeholder received campaign contributions donated illegally by Birdsall Engineering Group, Froelich fully knows and understands that none of the contributions which he sets forth were illegal when they were received by either the Republican freeholders or the former Democratic freeholders who received similar contributions.

In fact, none of the Republican or Democratic freeholders (to our knowledge) received any illegal campaign contributions from any vendor in this county. Many of the Republican and Democratic councilmen and mayors throughout the county also received contributions that were not illegal to those who were receiving them.

There may have been inappropriate actions conducted internally within their office by those giving the money, but that knowledge could not have been made available to any person receiving the money, whether they were Democrat or Republican.

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Posted: July 27th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 2013 Election, John Bennett, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Monmouth County Republican Committee, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth GOP | Tags: , , | 17 Comments »

Political Fallout Of Birdsall Report Likely To Be Muted

Brian Froelich, a Democratic candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder, signaled that he wants to use the Birdsall Engineering scandal as an issue against his incumbent Republican opponents earlier this month when he told NJ.com’s cub reporter Christopher Robbins, “There’s no way that we’re going to out-fundraise a 30-year incumbent institution,” Froelich said. “They may not have Birdsall anymore, but they have a lot more people willing to support incumbents and entrenched leaders.”

If Froelich wants to make an issue of the no longer secret donations that Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Director Serena DiMaso received from Birdsall employees, he will have to first question Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal.  Gopal received $1600 in Birdsall funds for his 2012 campaign for Chairman.  Gopal’s opponent in that race, Marlboro Councilman Frank LaRocca received $4000.

Kevin McMillian’s name will be above Froelich’s on the ballot in the 11th Legislative District.  The Democratic Assembly candidate received a ‘secret’ Birdsall donation of $300 for his 2011 campaign for Neptune Township Committee.

The Star Ledger this morning published a list of the illicit donations throughout the state from Birdsall employees that were reimbursed by the company in a scheme to get around New Jersey’s pay-to-play laws.  Both Democrats and Republicans statewide received donations.  Of the 1476 illegal campaign contributions made between 2008 and 2012, 761 were made to Democrats. 651 were made to Republicans and 64 are listed as “Other.”

 

Posted: June 24th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 2013 Election, Birdsall Engineering | Tags: , , , , , , | 14 Comments »

Democratic Freeholder Candidates Slam Lucas Farm Deal

The Democratic candidates for Monmouth County Freeholder are not waiting to get into campaign mode.

Brian Froelich and Lawrence Luttrell were endorsed by the Monmouth County Democratic Party last Saturday.  Today they issued a statement blasting the “all-Republican monopoly on the Freeholder Board” over the 3-2 split decision to pay Manalapan Township Committeeman Andrew Lucas $1.152 million for the development rights to his farm.

Froelich and Luttrell also promoted Lucas to a “GOP boss.”

MANALAPAN – Democratic Candidates for Monmouth County Freeholder, Brian Froelich  and Larry Luttrell, slammed the Republican Freeholder  Board’s decision to give almost 1.2 million taxpayer dollars away to a  local GOP party boss.

 

“Once again, the all-Republican monopoly on the Freeholder Board has  exercised its power against the interests of Monmouth County residents,” said Froelich. “This time, the Freeholders granted a $1.15  million-dollar payday to one of their own in the guise of ‘farmland  preservation.’ Whether it is preservation bonuses, pension privileges,  or old-fashioned patronage, this Board continues to remind us that  absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

 

“Clearly, there is an apparent conflict of interest with this land deal,” added  Luttrell, a former prosecutor. “This November, Monmouth County residents will have a chance to elect fair-minded watchdogs that will restrain  this biased and unbalanced Freeholder Board. Shame on Freeholder Serena  DiMaso for voting to give taxpayer money away to one of her political  cronies. This needs to change in November.”
General election for Monmouth County Freeholder takes place Tuesday, November 5th.

Froelich and Luttrell are attempting to unseat Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Director Serena DiMaso.  Arnone voted against funding the Lucas farm purchase. DiMaso voted for it.

Posted: March 1st, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Monmouth County, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth GOP | Tags: , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Monmouth Dems still looking to fill their dance card

Their nominating convention is on Saturday, but the Monmouth County Democrats are still searching for candidates to run for the legislature and sheriff.  Today’s “soft deadline” for candidates to come forward could be extended beyond the convention.  Chairman Vin Gopal’s quest to be the first county party to officially annoint Senator Barbara Buono with the gubernatorial nomination will end up being a self-inflicted wound if he doesn’t have a full slate to announce on Saturday afternoon.

With the official deadline for candidates to file their petitions not until April 1 and with Buono the only serious candidate for governor (there are two other announced candidates, former Glen Ridge Governor Carl Bergmanson and union carpenter Willie Araujo of Edison), Gopal’s decision to hold his convention a month earlier than normal looks silly.

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Posted: February 18th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 2011 Year in review, Monmouth Democrats | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments »

Golden, Arnone and DiMaso Annnounce Re-election Bid

Former Congressional candidate is seeking Democratic nomination for Freeholder.  Democrats still looking to fill their Monmouth County slate

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Freeholder Director Serena DiMaso announced yesterday that they are seeking the Republican nomination for their offices and re-election as a team.  There is no known opposition to the incumbents for the GOP nomination.  The party will award the organization’s “line” for the June primary at its nomination convention on March 23.

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone, Deputy Director Serena DiMaso and Sheriff Shaun Golden

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone, Deputy Director Serena DiMaso and Sheriff Shaun Golden

In a joint statement the team cited the county’s reduced spending, its response to Superstorm Sandy, and the positive business climate as the accomplishments of their first terms.  Golden and Arnone are completing their first full term in office.  DiMaso was elected by the Republican County Commitee in January of 2012 to fill Assemblyman Rob Clifton’s seat when Clifton moved to the Assembly. She was elected by the voters last November to complete the term.

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Posted: February 8th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 2013 Election, Monmouth County, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth GOP | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Chris Smith is New Jersey’s only GOP Congressman to break 60%

Congressman Chris Smith and Monmouth County Shaun Golden prepared to survey Hurricane Sandy damage

Congressman Chris Smith easily defeated his Democratic challenger, Brian Froelich of Spring Lake, to earn his 17th term in the House of Representative.  Smith new 4th district includes most of Monmouth County and parts of Ocean and Mercer County.

With 68% of the vote, Smith is the only Republican in the New Jersey delegation to break 60%.

Posted: November 7th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: 2012 Congressional Races, Chris Smith | Tags: , , | 6 Comments »

Gopal calls out Little and Smith over Kyrillos tax stance

The following is a release from Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal on behalf of Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (Monmouth-6) and Brian Froelich (Monmouth-4) – Democratic Candidates for US Congress in Monmouth County:

TO CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES ANNA LITTLE AND CHRIS SMITH… 
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON JOE KYRILLOS’ FLIP-FLOPS?
“This week, Joe Kyrillos broke from the Republican Party’s stalwart position against raising any taxes, even on the wealthiest people and most profitable corporations in America. However, when the GOP establishment attacked his stance, Joe Kyrillos quickly backtracked. This incident does raise an important question that effects all NJ voters – where does our the Republican Senate Candidate stand on the issue of tax fairness and where do the Republican Members of Congress and candidates stand on this issue. New Jersey Democrats have consistently been leaders on this issue, pushing for a millionaires tax that would ask everyone to pay their fair share.

 

Now is the time to ask these Republicans where they stand – do they stand with the Joe Kyrillos who has spent over 2 decades in Trenton protecting the wealthy at the expense of New Jersey’s working families and opposed the Millionaires tax? Or do they stand with the Joe Kyrillos who seems to only have existed only for one newspaper report and realized that he was on the wrong side of NJ families in his repeatedly demonstrated opposition to a millionaires tax.”

Posted: August 17th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: 2012 Congressional Races, 2012 U.S. Senate Race | Tags: , , , , , | 19 Comments »