Colts Neck Democrat Fined By ELEC

“Rick” Ambrosia, center, with Vin Gopal, left and Ray Santiago, right, during a 2011 campaign event. Gopal and Santiago were candidates for legislature in LD 11 at the time. facebook photo.

Colts Neck Democrat Patrick “Rick” Ambrosia, Jr has been fined $250 by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission for failure to file primary election reports for his 2011 campaign to become a member of the Township’s governing body.

Ambrosia, who is best known as a frequent antagonist on center-right blogs, lost his 2011 bid in the predominantly Republican Colts Neck Township.

Click here for ELEC’s decision.

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Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Calls for Gopal’s Resignation

Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Willie Araujo.

Shut out of the Monmouth County Democratic nominating convention, gubernatorial candidate Willie Araujo disputed Chairman Vin Gopal’s assertion that his nominating process is transparent.  Araujo said Gopal should resign immediately.

Araujo said he called Gopal multiple times about his candidacy and never heard back from the chairman. Gopal said that the Monmouth Democrats had a post on facebook on February 3 asking potential candidates for governor to submit their paperwork by February 9.  Only State Senator Barbara Buono responded to the facebook post.  Buono appeared at the convention is Asbury Park this morning and was nominated by acclamation.

In addition to Gopal, Araujo said he left messages for the Democratic County Chairs in Atlantic, Bergen, Camden, Essex, and Gloucester counties.  He said that Somerset County Chair Peg Schaffer spoke with him for over an hour.

“Chairwoman Peg Schaffer agreed to speak with me, we spoke for almost an hour and agreed that it’s up to the voters to decide their next Governor,” said Araujo,”Chairman Gopal, you should talk to Chairwoman Schaffer and take some lessons from her. You cannot endorse someone simply based on friendship. I think the Democrats in Monmouth County deserve better. You cannot be one sided… You should resign immediately.”

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Gopal: Bergmanson and Araujo Did Not Apply

Monmouth Dems will unanimously endorse Buono tomorrow

Responding to Democratic gubernatorial candidates Carl Bergmanson and Willie Araujo’s statements to MMM that they were not invited to the Monmouth Democratic Nominating Convention, Chairman Vin Gopal issued the following statement:

“We have one of the most open conventions in all of New Jersey. To date, I have only heard from one candidate seeking support for the Democratic Nomination for Governor – Senator Barbara Buono. We have sent several e-mails out to our database asking candidates who are interested in running for Governor, Legislature or County Offices to file a letter of intent. In addition, we had a public post on our Facebook Page on February 3rd asking potential candidates for Governor to get their paperwork in by February 9th, our deadline for candidates for candidates seeking our support. Any candidate who says they have reached out to us and we did not get back to them is just not true. We only heard from Senator Buono and that is who we will be unanimously endorsing tomorrow.”

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Will Buono Get On The Ballot?

Buono’s Challengers Not Invited to Monmouth Democratic Convention

It’s unimaginable that the Democratic Party would nominate Carl Bergmanson or Willie Araujo over Barbara Buono for Governor.  However, Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal is apparently worried.

Fresh on the heels of Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long’s defection from the Buono Brigade with her endorsement of Chris Christie, Gopal sent out a plea for volunteers to collect signatures for the presumptive nominee:

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Christie: ‘Vin represents the party of yesterday’

Photo by Serena DiMaso. Taken with Tom Arone’s phone

Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal is only 27 years old, but he’s over the hill politically according to Governor Chris Chrisite.

Speaking in Sea Bright while accepting Mayor Dina Long’s endorsement for reelection, Christie responded to the statement Gopal issued criticising Long and threatening her political future by saying,

“Vin represents the party of yesterday,” Christie chimed. “To put out a  statement like that is a product of yesterday. Maybe Chairman Gopal will see the  wisdom” (of Christie’s brand of bipartisanship),” according to PoltickerNJ.

Following yesterday’s news of Long endorsing Chrisite, Gopal issued the following statement on facebook:

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Dina’s going Long for Christie

Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long, a Democrat, will endorse Governor Chris Christie for reelection tomorrow morning at Woody’s, according to a source who doesn’t want to be known for talking to a Republican blogger.

Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long. photo credit:RedBankGreen.com

The Christie campaign has announced a campaign event at Woody’s Ocean Grille for 11:15 am.

Long did not return a call for comment. Nor did Christie strategist Mike DuHaime.

Long’s support of the Republican governor is a set back for Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal, one of Democratic gubernatorial presumptive nominee Senator Barbara Buono’s strongest supporters.

Should Long find herself in trouble with Gopal, Monmouth Republican Chairman John Bennett would welcome her to the GOP.

“I would welcome any caring mayor or council member, including Mayor Long, into the party,” said Bennett in a phone interview, “So long as they are working for the people and not out of a personal agenda, I will welcome them.”

Gopal did not respond to multiple messages.

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Monmouth Dems still looking to fill their dance card

Their nominating convention is on Saturday, but the Monmouth County Democrats are still searching for candidates to run for the legislature and sheriff.  Today’s “soft deadline” for candidates to come forward could be extended beyond the convention.  Chairman Vin Gopal’s quest to be the first county party to officially annoint Senator Barbara Buono with the gubernatorial nomination will end up being a self-inflicted wound if he doesn’t have a full slate to announce on Saturday afternoon.

With the official deadline for candidates to file their petitions not until April 1 and with Buono the only serious candidate for governor (there are two other announced candidates, former Glen Ridge Governor Carl Bergmanson and union carpenter Willie Araujo of Edison), Gopal’s decision to hold his convention a month earlier than normal looks silly.

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Golden, Arnone and DiMaso Annnounce Re-election Bid

Former Congressional candidate is seeking Democratic nomination for Freeholder.  Democrats still looking to fill their Monmouth County slate

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Freeholder Director Serena DiMaso announced yesterday that they are seeking the Republican nomination for their offices and re-election as a team.  There is no known opposition to the incumbents for the GOP nomination.  The party will award the organization’s “line” for the June primary at its nomination convention on March 23.

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone, Deputy Director Serena DiMaso and Sheriff Shaun Golden

In a joint statement the team cited the county’s reduced spending, its response to Superstorm Sandy, and the positive business climate as the accomplishments of their first terms.  Golden and Arnone are completing their first full term in office.  DiMaso was elected by the Republican County Commitee in January of 2012 to fill Assemblyman Rob Clifton’s seat when Clifton moved to the Assembly. She was elected by the voters last November to complete the term.

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Democrats Lining Up To Challenge Angelini and Casagrande

By Art Gallagher

Monmouth Democrats are expecting a contested convention race for the nominations for Assembly in the 11th Legislative District. 

Three of the five members of the Neptune Township Committee, Dr. Michael Brantley, J. Randy Bishop, and Kevin B. McMillian have expressed their interest in competing for the nominations for the two seats, according to a Democrat who asked not to be named because he/she was talking to a Republican blogger.   Red Bank Councilman Ed Zipprich will also seek a nomination, according to PoltickerNJ.

Republicans Mary Pat Angelini of Ocean Township and Caroline Casagrande of Colts Neck currently represent the district in Assembly.

The district is comprised of the Monmouth County municipalities of Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Colts Neck, Deal, Eatontown, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Interlaken, Loch Arbour, Long Branch, Neptune, Neptune Township, Ocean Township, Red Bank, Shrewsbury Borough, Shrewsbury Township, Tinton Falls, West Long Branch .

Monmouth Demcratic Chairman Vin Gopal will probably have to do some arm twisting to come up with a candidate to challenge Senator Jennifer Beck of Red Bank, according to the source.   The Republican Beck is pro-choice and pro-gay marriage.  She is very popular with Democrats in the district.  No one is currently interested in challenging her.

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Norcross Endorses Buono For Governor

Camden Democratic Boss and King of the World George Norcross joined Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin “Pro-Buono” Gopal in endorsing State Senator Barbara Buono as the Democratic nominee for governor.

Norcross did not feel snubbed that he was left off Gopal’s list of endorsees released on Tuesday.

Norcross told PolitickerNJ that Buono is “a high quality candidate, and in the absence of anyone else, the party ought to  rally around her and move forward.” He said he applauds Buono for getting into the gubernatorial race when no one else has.   Can you feel the love?

While Gopal praised Buono’s guts in his endorsement on Tuesday, Norcross had choice words for the lack of guts of Senator and former Acting Governor Richard Codey.  Codey has not announced his gubernatorial candidacy, but many Democrats expect that he will jump into the race soon.

“I’ve never had any confidence in Dick Codey’s courage and I don’t expect  that to change,” Norcross said.  “I think he likes to have people say ‘run  Dick run’ and I think at the end of this period we will look back and say ‘this  looks like the Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers fiasco that played out over four  cycles and the party will be in a position where we don’t have a standard bearer  and aren’t in a position to compete in the election this year.”

Norcross compared Codey to the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz and said his  gubernatorial aspirations amount to nothing more than a “theatrical  presentation.”

Codey took Norcross’s bash as a school yard challenge.  The anti-bully lobby would be proud.

“I had the guts to take him on and I’ve been doing it since 1993,” Codey said in  response.  “He’s done a good job of trying to wreck this party so he can  run everything in concert with the governor.  As he said very famously, no  matter who runs, I win.  That’s the attitude we have to change.”.

Despite the lack of an announcement, News12 reported Wednesday night that Codey is a candidate.  The former Acting Governor sounded very much like a candidate on the cable new station, discussing how Governor Christie could be beat and how he would defeat him.

Norcross’s endorsement of Buono is a good indication that his protege, Senate President Steve, “The Kitten” Sweeney will not be a candidate for governor.

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