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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Pezzullo to challenge Pallone

Rich Pezzullo

Conservative businessman Rich Pezzullo announced last night that he will seek the GOP nomination to challenge Congressman Frank Pallone in the 6th Congressional District of New Jersey (parts of Monmouth and Middlesex counties).

Pezzullo declared his candidacy at the Middlesex County Republican Women’s Club’s annual Reagan Day celebration.

“We can no longer allow enemies of American progress like Frank Pallone to represent us when he and others like him are spending every day trying to hold our nation back. I am challenging him because I believe that the Sixth District deserves so much better — a representative they can rely on, that they can be proud of,” Pezzullo told the gathering. “Pallone was elected to Congress 30 years ago and has not accomplished anything. He is too far left even for his own rabidly leftist party. Isn’t it time for a Congressman who will work for a living?” Read the rest of this entry »

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Hugin Expected To Make U.S. Senate Candidacy Official On Tuesday

Bob Hugin

Bob Hugin, the recently retired Executive Chairman of Celgene Corporation, has scheduled two announcement events for Tuesday, February 13, MMM has learned.

Republican insiders widely expect Hugin to announce that he will be a candidate for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.

The first event is scheduled to take place at the Springfield Elks Club at 10 a.m.  The afternoon event will be in Burlington County at VFW Post 3020 in Delran, 2 p.m.

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Pezzullo Says He Will Support Hugin For U.S. Senate

Bob Hugin and Rich Pezzullo

Rich Pezzullo declared that he would suspend his candidacy for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate if Bob Hugin, the recently retired Executive Chairman of Celgene Corporation becomes a candidate.

Speaking to several hundred Monmouth County Republicans at the annual Lincoln Day Dinner, Pezzullo, of Freehold, said, ” I actually like the guy and trust him to advance our agenda vigorously and fearlessly. I encourage him to quit waffling and get into the race.” Read the rest of this entry »

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Lunging Larry Luttrell to seek Democrat nomination for Monmouth County Freeholder

Democratic Freeholder Candidate Lawrence Luttrell at the 2014 Four Seasons debate in Manalapan. photo by Rhoda Chodosh

Larry ‘The Lunger’ Luttrell , a Democrat lawyer from Holmdel, is running for Monmouth County Freeholder for the third time, according to  report at InsiderNJ.

Luttrell earned the moniker The Lunger as a freeholder candidate in 2014.  During a debate at the Four Seasons Club House in Manalapan, Luttrell jumped from his seat and lunged towards Freeholder Lillian Burry when she asked him, “Is your name Pinocchio?” in response to a comment he made distorting her record.

This year maybe we’ll call Luttrell The Masochist because he apparently likes to be beaten.   In addition to losing his freeholder race to Burry in 2014, he lost to Serena DiMaso in 2013.  He lost a bid to be elected to the Holmdel Township Committee in 2012 and again last year.

All those beatings earned Luttrell’s wife, Renee, a five year term on the Monmouth County Tax Board. Read the rest of this entry »

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Monmouth Democrats Back Menendez For Reelection

Monmouth Democrat Chairman Dave Brown

Monmouth County Democrat Chairman David Brown responded to the news that indicted U.S. Senator Bob Menendez will face a second trial on federal corruption charges by endorsing the senator for reelection in November, according to a report at PoliticsDW.

“Whether it is fighting for progressive values or standing up to Donald Trump’s disastrous and economic and environmental policies, Senator Bob Menendez has had our side,” said David Brown, the Monmouth County Democratic Chairman.

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Video: Congressman Chris Smith fears partisanship at the highest levels of the FBI

Congressman Chris Smith read the FISA memo on Wednesday morning before traveling from Washington for an interview with MMM.

Smith told us that there appears to be no evidence of collusion between President Trump and Russia and that he has real concerns about partisanship at the highest levels of the FBI.

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Menendez: I plan to run for re-election despite retrial

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez said Friday he intends to run for re-election this year even though federal prosecutors revealed earlier in the day that they plan to retry the New Jersey Democrat on corruption charges. “Senator Menendez fully expects to be vindicated and has every intention of running for re-election, continuing to fight Donald Trump’s policies… Read the rest of this entry »

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Political Predictions for 2018

National  Politics:

Defying historical trends and mainstream media polling, the Republican Party will expand its majority in the both U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives.  Congressman Frank Pallone will not become a Committee Chairman.

President Donald Trump’s personal approval ratings will hover between 35-45%.  His job approval rating will exceed 50% nationally and in NJ as the economy continues to grow and as threats from ISIS and North Korea are neutralized. Read the rest of this entry »

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