Freeholder Director John Curley is not taking sides in the campaign for Assemblyman Rob Clifton’s seat on the county governing body which will conclude on Saturday with the Title 19 convention of Republican County Committee members at Colts Neck High School.
“We have four very strong, smart and articulate candidates,” said Curley, ” I will be proud to serve with and run with whoever the party gives me on Saturday.”
The successful candidate on Saturday can be sworn in as Freeholder upon resigning from their current office. The new freeholder and Curley will be the presumptive GOP nominees for this fall’s election.
Curley said he expected the election to be a close contest to Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso and Howell Mayor Bob Walsh. He said he is impressed with both Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle and Manalapan Committeeman Ryan Green, both of whom are making their first bid for county office. “We’ll be hearing from then again,” he said.
Former Howell Township Mayors Harvey Morrell, JR and Joseph DiBella have sent a joint letter to members of the Howel municipal Republican committee urging them to vote for current Mayor Bob Walsh in Saturday’s Freeholder election.
In there letter address to “Fellow Howell Republicans” Morrell and DiBella emphasis the “historic opportunity” of Howell having its first ever freeholder.
The mayors emphasise the demands of Howell Township and how that prepares one to be a freeholder on “day one.” They praise Walsh’s conservative Republican credentials, his high moral character and ethical fabric.
Monmouth County residents are fortunate that the Republican party has such a deep bench of qualified talent. Any of the four municipal office holders seeking to take Assemblyman Rob Clifton’s seat on the Board of Chosen Freeholders on Saturday can do the job and do it well.
Serena DiMaso of Holmdel has distinguished herself as the outstanding choice amongst very good choices.
Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle and Manalapan Committeeman Ryan Green, both newcomers to county level politics, each have a great deal of promise. Each has a future in higher office should they continue to pursue it.
Howell Mayor Bob Walsh was the early favorite of this blog. We agree with everything that our friend James Hogan said about Bob in his endorsement, except Jim’s conclusion that Bob is the best candidate at this time. We are impressed with Bob’s political accomplishments, his passion and his entrepreneurial creativity. We appreciate his “big personality.” We’re impressed that he has won over Joe DiBella, his former passionate political adversary.
But we believe that Serena DiMaso will be a better freeholder and a better candidate, at this time.
Serena’s personality is not as big as her heart. She is a rare breed of politician; a truly humble public servant. Her quiet demeanor masks a tough, tenacious and very smart conservative leader.
The Freeholder Board is already occupied by big personalities. We believe that Serena is the perfect replacement for Rob Clifton’s calm, quiet leadership.
We also believe that Serena is the perfect running mate for Freeholder Director John Curley this year and for Freeholder Tom Arnone and Sheriff Shaun Golden next year. As her speaking skills continue to improve…she’s improved remarkably during this brief campaign… Serena will be very difficult for the Democrats to run against. Her record is impressive and she can sell it.
We figured the First Aid Squad gig was a resume builder like many politicians who join their community fire departments so that they use pictures wearing gear in campaign materials. Then we learned that Serena went on over 300 emergency calls last year. What mayor or chair of a hospital foundation does that? How does she do all that? “Dinner is often late to the table and the laundry is done in the middle of the night,” was her answer.
Serena will bring a great, deep, balance to the next two general election tickets and to the Board of Freeholders.
Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande
Dear County Committee Member,
On Saturday January 14th at 9:00am at Colts Neck High School (59 Five Points Rd., Colts Neck), you and other Monmouth County Republican Committee members will vote for the person who will replace Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
We are supporting Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso and we ask you to vote for her on Saturday. We have each known Serena for many years and believe her record of fiscal responsibility, her experience, and her temperament make her the best choice among the candidates.
Despite huge increases in costs like healthcare, fuel, and pension contributions and a significant loss of state aid, Holmdel’s current budget is only slightly higher than it was in 2007, a great example of Serena’s commitment to keep spending and taxes under control.
Serena’s political accomplishments are just as impressive. When the Holmdel Republican Party was going through some difficult times, Serena worked hard and won two contested primaries (2001 & 2007). She worked even harder to bring the party together after those tough victories, and today the Holmdel Republicans are united and a 4-1 majority on their Township Committee. The ability to bring people together and unite them for a common purpose is a very important attribute for our next Freeholder.
Experience is another attribute our next Freeholder will need. The County budget is nearly $500 million, with multiple large and complex departments and responsibilities. We believe Serena’s 10 years on the Holmdel Township Committee- especially the five she spent as Mayor- make her the candidate best equipped to deal with the complexities of county government.
Monmouth County is a wonderful place to live because of the vision and accomplishments of the great Republican Freeholders of the past. We believe Serena DiMaso will carry on that great Republican legacy in Monmouth County and we ask you to vote for her on Saturday January 14th at 9:00am at Colts Neck High School ( 59 Five Points Rd., Colts Neck)
After careful review of the Freeholder candidates at multiple forums as well as a review of facts and statistics from their hometowns and feedback from other like-minded, concerned, private sector taxpayers, I’d like to share the following opinions and observations:
Bob Walsh is a fiercely Independent Republican — despite being at odds with his local Republican committee, Bob forges ahead for the good of ALL taxpayers, and the good of the Republican party. Bob stands firm on his principles and convictions and is unyielding to “higher-ups” or those who would try to put road-blocks in front of him. His life story is one of overcoming hardships and diversity and that life experience gives him the ability to represent average, honest, working class people who also face the [currently dim] economic and social environment.
Bob Walsh is an open, honest and often blunt speaker — if anyone is unsure of where Bob stands on an issue, they should ask him. Bob is well informed and will consistently speak the honest truth, even if it is a controversial or a dissenting opinion, and not sugar-coat an issue simply to make people feel good or make friends. Bob does not shy away from confrontation but rather stands firm for what he believes in while being open to the facts and reality around us.
Bob Walsh has courage and political will — Bob has made every effort to work within the framework of the State Constitution and NJ state law to limit the size of his local government and make government more affordable. While major reforms are much needed in our system, those reforms must be made at the state level where Democrats control the Legislature in opposition to the principles we stand for as Republicans, and Bob has succeeded in working within the system we have to the benefit of taxpayers. Further, Bob Walsh will not be bullied by department heads, union bosses or other beneficiaries of the system as he has proven in his own town.
Bob Walsh is a fellow, Independent private sector taxpayer — Bob is not a public worker and his livelihood is not dependent on political outcomes. Bob has no conflicts of interest with his fellow taxpayers and is not a beneficiary of the public system. Public workers may despise him, and Democrats may attack his unique personality, but attacks on his conviction to principles and his defense of taxpayers will be without merit.
I thank all of the candidates, their supporters and the eventual Freeholder for answering my questions and I pledge my full support, time and dedication to whoever is elected, but it is these specific qualities, among others, that I see in Howell Mayor Bob Walsh that, in my humble opinion, make him stand out among the other candidates for Freeholder at this time. It is for these qualities, many of which I believe that I share in common with Mayor Walsh, that many of you have supported me in the past and I ask you to extend that support to Bob Walsh on Saturday January 14th, and again in November.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
James Hogan
Monmouth County Republican Committeeman
Long Branch District 10
The candidates to replace Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton on the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders will not address the Title 19 convention of Monmouth Republican Committee members when they convene on Saturday morning at Colts Neck High School.
Nominations will be accepted from the floor and then the balloting will commence.
Several party leaders told MMM that Chairman Joe Oxley decided on this agenda for the convention out of concern for maintaining a quorum. 50% plus one of the committee’s 770 members must be present during the voting in order for the election to be official.
There is talk among some committee members about making a motion from the floor to allow the candidates to speak.
There will be no problem obtaining a quorum of 386 if the candidates’ head counts are accurate. At a meet and greet hosted by the Atlantic Highlands Republican Committee last night, Howell Mayor Bob Walsh and Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso both told MMM they have 200 votes. Manalapan Township Committeeman Ryan Green said that he counting on at least 150 of the 300 GOP committee members he personally visited. MMM did not talk to Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle about his vote count.
The Monmouth County Republican Committee will be electing a Freeholder on Saturday, January 14, to fill the vacancy resulting from Freeholder Director Rob Clifton’s election to the State Assembly.
The candidates are Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso, Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle, Manalapan Committeeman Ryan Green and Howell Mayor Bob Walsh.
The worst kept secret in Monmouth County politics became news today when Politickernj reported that “Monmouth County GOP Chairman Joe Oxley is poised to leave his chairmanship for a superior court judgeship.”
Politickernj’s story is premature.
“If it happens, it won’t be during this legislative session,” said State Senator Joe Kyrillos, “Joe is an excellent chairman. Monmouth County is important to the party statewide going into 2012 and 2013.”
State Senator Jennifer Beck said she’d heard rumblings about an Oxley judicial nomination but assumed it was a rumor. “Joe has never mentioned an interest in being a judge,” said Beck, “there are three Republican and one Democratic vacancy on the Monmouth Court now. The workload is significant. About 60 lawyers have expressed interest in those positions, but the Chairman is not one of them.”
Rumors of Oxley moving to the Monmouth Vicinage were rampant in the legal community and among GOP politicos the week before Thanksgiving as several people who received calls from the State Police performing a background check on the former sheriff spread the word.
Oxley passed the background check, according to sources. The bar association and the Monmouth Senate delegation still need to give their blessings before Governor Chris Christie will announce the nomination, which must be confirmed by the Senate.
“Nothing is official until the Governor makes his nomination,” Oxley told MMM in November, “as of now, I am completing my term and running for reelection as Chairman.”
Speculation for Oxley’s successor as chairman has centered around State GOP Committeewoman Christine Hanlon, State GOP Treasurer and former Senate President John Bennett, and former Assemblyman Steve Corodemus.
A source close to the former Assemblyman told MMM that Corodemus does not want the position.
Bennett and Hanlon could not be reached for comment.
Jim Giannell, the Kingmaker without a portfolio, told MMM that he won’t be a candidate for chairman should Oxley get benched. Giannell ran for chairman against Adam Puharic in 2006.
Howell Chairman John Costigan, who challenged Oxley in 2010, also said that he would not be seeking the office.
Nice credible poll. Obvious it can be rigged. Read the site last night at about 11pm and Walsh had like 4 votes. And them whamo…overnight he gets 200 more. Yeah right.
Tim has a point. I laughed heartily first thing this morning when I saw that the Freeholder poll had 300 votes overnight. I checked the site statistics which revealed there was only 140 overnight visitors. Even though I set the poll up for only one vote per IP address and one vote per computer (by cookie) someone figured a way around that, which is not rocket science.
