Monmouth GOP Convention Tonight

The Monmouth County Republican Committee will convene to elect a Chairman this evening at iPlay America in Freehold, at 7PM.

Only credentialed County Committee members will be permitted to vote.  County Committee members are urged to arrive at 6PM in order to check in and receive their credentials.  Only Republicans on the County Committee list generated by the Superintendent of Elections will be credentialed.  Municipal Chairmen and Chairwomen are urged to verify that their accurate and complete list of committee members is submitted to Superintendent Bertha Sumick this morning.

In lieu of a debate, the candidates for Chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Committee have agreed to a round of Cosmic Battle Laser Tag at 5:30PM. Arrive early! You don’t want to miss the Cosmic Battle!

Just kidding.  The amusements are on the opposite side of the building from the Event Center where the convention will be held.

iPlay American is at 110 Schanck Rd, on the southbound side of Route 9.  When you enter the parking lot look for signs for the Event Center, which is on the far side, the north side, of the building.

There are five restaurants inside the iPlay America complex, one of them just next to the room where the convention will be held. Arrive early and relax with other Republicans from throughout the county.

Get directions to iPlay America here.

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Burry and Rich Are Renominated by Monmouth GOP

Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich took a first ballot victory over Howell Councilman Bob Walsh at the Monmouth GOP Convention this morning.

The unofficial results are:

Gary Rich 294

Lillian Burry 227

Bob Walsh 199

In the race for the U.S. Senate nomination, there was no first ballot winner. Murray Sabrin and Rich Pezzullo qualified for a second ballot which is now being taken.

The first ballot Senate numbers were are follows:

Rich Pezzullo  164

Murray Sabrin 105

Brian Goldberg 72

Robert Tukevage 44

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Monmouth GOP Convention

Congressman Chris Smith was nominated for reelection in CD-4 by acclamation.

Anthony Wilkinson of Old Bridge Township was nominated for election in CD-6 by acclamation.

Candidates for U.S. Senate and Freeholder have spoken and the committee is voting.

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Christie Accepts The Monmouth GOP Endorsement

Photo credit: Rhoda Chodosh

There was little talk of bi-partisanship in Colts Neck yesterday morning at the Monmouth Republican Nominating Convention. The Republican nominee for Governor showed up at the Monmouth County Republican Nominating Convention.

Governor Chris Christie brought the crowd of some 400 county committee members and guests to their feet several times as he declared that it is he, and the Republicans who have stood with him “along with some right thinking Democrats,” who have turned Trenton upside down since he was elected in 2009.

Christie acknowledged the impact that the Monmouth GOP had in his 2009 victory over Jon Corzine.  “When most people didn’t know me, you gave me a chance. When nobody thought I could win, you did,” Christie told the crowd as he thanked Monmouth for the 64,000 vote pluarity he won in the county in ’09 general election and the first GOP county endorsement he received in the ’09 primary.   He specifically thanked former Monmouth Republican Chairman Joe Oxley who is now out of politics after being sworn in as a Superior Court Judge on Friday.  “I will miss Joe’s political partnership,” said the governor, “but I know New Jersey will be well served by Joe in his new position, which I had something to do with him getting.”

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Christie to attend Monmouth GOP Convention

Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett announced this morning that Governor Chris Christie will be on hand to accept the party’s nomination for reelection when the Committee convenes at Colts Neck High School on Saturday, March 23.

In an email to County Committee members, Bennett said that he was hopeful that all members would be able to join him in nomination Christie, Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and all incumbent legislative and county candidates.

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Monmouth GOP convention called for September 29. Bylaws to be adopted

Monmouth GOP Chairman John O. Bennett has announced that a convention of the County Committee will be held on Saturday September 29 at Colts Neck High School for the purpose of adopting party by laws and to”rally for our candidates.”  Previously, a new State Committeeman was to be elected at the convention to replace Bennett, but he has decided not to resign from that office.

Bennett has distributed his proposed by-laws for the county party to members of the county committee.  A copy can be found here.

To Bennett’s credit, this “final draft” has been adjusted substantially to address the reactions that incumbent office holders had to his original proposed rules for nominating candidates that he unveiled last week at meetings with county elected officials and legislators, the as yet unofficial board of directors and the municipal chairs.

The original proposal for candidate selection would have given no consideration to incumbents.  Anyone who submitted a letter of intent and appeared before a steering committee could have challenged an incumbent at nominating convention.  This proposal, combined with the chairman’s instructions, not in the by-laws, that incumbents restrict and adjust their fundraising activities, left most county elected officers and some legislators feeling angry and vulnerable.  This “final draft” has addressed the incumbents concerns, to a degree.  Good thing too.  Bennett was in danger of being as relevant to incumbent office holders as Chairman Bill Dowd was to Bennett when he was a senator.  Not very.

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