By Art Gallagher
Assemblyman Sam Thompson of Old Bridge told MoreMonmouthMusings that he has the support of his fellow 12th district county chairmen for his bid to run for State Senate.
Thompson, who is also the Middlesex County GOP Chairman said that Ocean Chair George Gilmore, Monmouth Chair Joe Oxley and Burlington Chair Bill Layton each indicated that they would recommend that their respective conventions or screening committees nominate him for Senator. He is confident that his own convention will award him the nomination.
Thompson said he would ask the Middlesex County Convention to nominate Monmouth County Freeholder Director Rob Clifton for the Assembly seat that Thompson now holds. Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, Plumsted is also expected to be nominated.
Clifton told MMM that he proudly supports Thompson for Senate, that he looks forward to campaigning with him and Dancer and serving with them in Trenton.
Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas, who has said he will challenge Clifton in the primary, was not immediately available for comment.
Posted: April 5th, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: NJ State Legislature | Tags: Andrew Lucas, Rob Clifton, Ronald Dancer, Sam Thompson, The new 12th district | 10 Comments »
By Art Gallagher
Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas will be a candidate for the state legislature in the GOP primary from the new 12th district.
Lucas, who will make a formal announcement tomorrow, said he would defer to Assembly incumbents Sam Thompson and Ronald Dancer should either seek the vacant Senate seat. In such case Lucas will run for Assembly. Should neither incumbent Assemblyman run for Senate, Lucas will seek that seat.
Lucas said that he will not compete with Freeholder Director Rob Clifton for the Monmouth GOP line with the screening committee, but would take the race to a primary.
“I think this will be fun and reinvigorate the western portion of the Monmouth GOP,” said the Mayor.
Posted: April 3rd, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Legislature, Monmouth GOP, NJ State Legislature, Reapportionment, Redistricting | Tags: Andrew Lucas, Rob Clifton, Ronald Dancer, Sam Thompson, The new 12th district | 12 Comments »
By Art Gallagher
Assembyman Sam Thompson told MoreMonmouthMusings that he is strongly considering a run for the Senate vacancy in the new 12 legislative district. He said the support of the county chairmen in Monmouth, Ocean and Burlington Counties, all of which have towns in the district, would weigh heavily upon his decision. Thompson is the the chairman of the Middlesex GOP.
Thompson noted that if he were in the Senate, the GOP would have senatorial courtesy privileges over Middlesex County appointments.
Posted: April 3rd, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: NJ State Legislature, Sam Thompson | Tags: Sam Thompson, The new 12th district | 2 Comments »
