Bob Hugin wins Monmouth GOP endorsement for U.S. Senate

Rich Pezzullo gets the CD-6 endorsement by acclamation 

Former Celgene CEO Bob Hugin won the endorsement of the Monmouth County Republican Committee for the GOP U.S. Senate nomination tonight besting Brian Goldberg by a margin of 121-17. Read the rest of this entry »

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Hugin Wins Ocean GOP Endorsement, Goldberg loses endorsements he didn’t have

Bob Hugin accepts the endorsement for U.S. Senate from the Ocean GOP. Chairman George Gilmore in the background. photo by Mike Ward

Former Celgene CEO Bob Hugin won the U.S. Senate endorsement of the Ocean County Republican Party tonight in Toms River, defeating the Ocean GOP’s 2014 nominee, Brian Goldberg, by a margin of 142-12.

“Ocean County delivers the highest number of Republican votes of any county in New Jersey and we are fully behind Bob Hugin,” said OCGOP Chairman George Gilmore. “We need a Senator that New Jersey can be proud of again, and we are confident Bob is that person.  We will deliver for Bob and all of our GOP candidates on November 6th.”

“I’m honored and proud to receive the formal endorsement of the Ocean County Republican Organization,” said Bob Hugin. “My parents instilled in me the values of service to community and country at a young age.  I’ve lived those values as a US Marine and business leader, and will do the same as our next United States Senator.”  Read the rest of this entry »

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What if Menendez resigns?

Senator Bob Menendez, left, and Congressman Frank Pallone, making like chimpmunks at the 2012 Belmar St. Patrick’s parade. Photo credit Charles Measley

First of all, Senator Bob Menendez might not even be indicted.  Leaks out of the Justice Department have been notoriously unreliable since Chris Christie resigned as U.S. Attorney in 2008.

If Menendez is indicted, he probably will not resign. In his press conference this evening, the Senator defiantly insisted on the “appropriateness and lawfulness” of his relationship with Dr. Salomon Melgen, the Florida ophthalmologist who is Menendez’s friend and benefactor. He declared that he is not going anywhere.

If, as CNN speculates, Menendez is charged with corruption this month, it could be Halloween before he goes to trial. Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell was indicted in January of 2014.  His trial didn’t start until late July and didn’t end to early September.   Unless Menendez makes a deal to avoid prosecution that includes his resignation, there is not likely to be a Special Election to fill the Senate seat until next year….2016, the year of the next presidential election.

If Chris Christie is still Governor in 2016 and Menendez’s seat becomes vacant, he will get to choose the next Senator and set the date a special election.   There could be a mid-year Special Election or the Special Election could be on the same day as the presidential election.  There’s no way to know now what is likely to happen.

Still, the prospect of a Senatorial vacancy stirs speculation and the phone lines among both Democrats and Republicans have been burning this afternoon since the news of the possible prosecution broke.

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Goldberg seeks to challenge Hornik in Marlboro

Ira Goldberg is seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Mayor Jon Hornik in Marlboro

Ira Goldberg, a 36 year resident of Marlboro Township was in Atlantic City on Monday seeking support for Monmouth County Republicans present for his bid to unseat Marlboro Township’s Democratic mayor, Jonathan Hornik.

Goldberg’s son Brian, a candidate for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in the primary last year proudly introduced his father to Monmouth contingent at Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnik’s rally/convention.

Asked if he thought he could be the popular Hornik, the elder Goldberg said, “I’ve been in Marlboro 36 years and know everyone.”

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Jeff Bell wins the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate

With 94% of the voting districts reporting statewide, Jeff Bell is leading Rich Pezzullo  by 3,200 votes in the race to take on Senator Cory Booker in November.

Save Jersey called the race for Bell.  Bell has 38,959 votes, 29%, according to The Associated Press.  Pezzullo had 35,733, 27%.

Establishment favorite Brian Goldberg has 33,194 votes, 25%.  Murray Sabrin has 20% of the vote, 26,249.

Bell defeated the last Republican U.S. Senator from New Jersey, Clifford Case, in 1978 GOP primary and lost the general election to Bill Bradley, a Rhodes Scholar and famous NBA basketball star.  This year he will take on Booker, a Rhodes Scholar and famous social media star.

Bell did not participate in any of the Republican County conventions this year. He has won the nomination without any county “Party Lines” on the primary ballot.

Bell sent out mail that Republican primary voters are used to receiving and he advertised MMM.

Follow Jeff Bell on twitter.  He has 175 followers to Booker’s 1.47 million.

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In GOP U.S. Senate Primary: Write-in Joe Kyrillos

By Art Gallagher

Sen. Joe Kyrillos and Mayor Fred Rast greeting voters in Atlantic Highlands last year. photo by Art Gallagher

Several MMM readers have asked  me to endorse of a U.S. Senate candidate to take on Senator Cory Booker.  I can’t endorse, or vote for, any of the four candidates who are on the ballot this Tuesday.

I’m writing in Joe Kyrillos on Tuesday. If this post goes viral, Joe Kryillos could be the U.S. Senate Republican nominee on Tuesday night.  That’s how bad the U.S. Senate primary campaign has been.  Booker would then have a fight on his hands.  Share this post.

None of the four candidates on the ballot can make Booker break a sweat this fall.

None of the candidates on the ballot have raised enough money for a county freeholder race, never mind a statewide race for U.S. Senate.  Booker has spent over $12 million on his re-election bid since the first of the year. He had $2.9 million in cash on hand as of May 14.

State Senator Joe Kyrillos, the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate in 2012, has refunded more money to his federal donors this year that any of the current Republican candidates have raised.

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Four Feisty GOP Foes Battle for Chance to Challenge Booker

Four Feisty GOP Foes Battle for Chance to Challenge Booker (via NJSpotlight)

As rising political star Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) prepares for an uncontested primary, the four Republicans auditioning to oppose him remain far from the spotlight. They are not complete unknowns. One was prominent in politics long ago. Two have been…

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Brian Goldberg Wins U.S. Senate Nod From Ocean County GOP Convention

Brian Goldberg

Brian Goldberg, a businessman and political newcomer, won the endorsement of the Ocean County Republican Committee for U. S. Senate at the party convention in Toms River this evening.

Goldberg won a first ballot victory with 108 votes.  Rich Pezzullo, a businessman from Freehold received 25 votes.  Ramapo College Professor Murray Sabrin and former FBI Agent Robert Turkavage each received 5 votes.

Goldberg will have the party line on the ballot in Ocean County for the June 3 primary.

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Essex Republicans back Goldberg for U.S. Senate

Essex Republicans back Goldberg for U.S. Senate (via NJ.com)

NEWARK — The Essex County Republican party announced today they will back Brian Goldberg to unseat Sen. Cory Booker in his 2014 re-election bid. “I’m very pleased to support Essex County’s own Brian Goldberg for U.S. Senate,” said county party…

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Chirp Chirp Chirp. Where are the GOP U.S. Senate Candidates? Congressional Candidates?

© Jim Urquhart / Reuters

New Jersey’s Comptroller issued a scathing report yesterday alleging that Newark’s Watershed Director stole millions of dollars during the Booker Administration.

The report included an referral to the Attorney General for a criminal investigation and was sharply critical of Cory Booker, the former Newark Mayor who is now a U.S. Senator, completing the term of the late Senator Frank Lautenberg.

Not a peep out of Murray Sabrin, Brian Goldberg, Rich Pezzullo or any of the other candidates for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate whose names I don’t know.

Yesterday’s news that HUD is preventing victims of Superstorm Sandy from rebuilding their homes is another layup that Republican candidates for federal office, challengers or incumbents, missed.

Joe Kyrillos stepped up about HUD prolonging the agony for New Jersey residents with the strongest statement I’ve heard from him in the eight years I’ve been covering New Jersey  politics.  How about someone who is actually running for office this year stepping up and getting from free media?

Can we get a Republican who wants to be on the ballot this year grow some balls please?

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