UPDATE May 18, 2006
Jim Giannell, Chairman of the Two Rivers group and Red Bank GOP Chair is running for County GOP Chair.
Jim is the owner of New Markets Realty, Red Bank, and a member of the Monmouth County Transportation Board. For the last two years Jim has been the unofficial whip of the Monmouth GOP County Committee. He orchestrated the selections of Lillian Burry, Anna Little and Andrew Lucas as Freeholder Candidates.
Jim is a grass roots champion. Don't bet against him. He probably already has his votes counted and committed. If he is as smart as I think he is, he all ready has the support of the majority of the municipal chairs, the majority of the elected officials and the other rumored candidates.
Politicsnj has an article updating our Chairman's race posted today.
Of note, former Senator John O. Bennett is not running. He said, "I would rather slit my wrists and cut off all my fingers than run for County Chair." Bennett sarcastically endorses Asbury Park Press publisher Skip Hidlay for the post.
Former NJ GOP Executive Director and DiBella campaign manager Brian Nelson mulling a run. I think its safe to say that Brian will not be a candidate if Middletown GOP chair, Peter Carton, is a candidate. Peter is a partner in the law firm that Nelson works for.
Nelson has other problems. Holmdel Committeeman Terence Wall reports that he has filed a ELEC complaint against Nelson and Tom Blakely of Jamestown Associates for the distribution of the anonymous attacks against Wall in last March's Freeholder candidate race.
Jim Giannell is set to announce his intentions tomorrow. No word yet on what Peter Carton intends to do.
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11 comments:
I've been so disappointed with PoliticsNJ since Kornacki left. They just seem to have no clue what's going on in Monmouth on either side of the aisle. I mean Nelson and Ferraro? Who pulled those names out of their ass?
PoliticsNJ has turned into a self-promotion vehicle for lobbyists and second-rate political handlers, D and R. Just pretty irrelevant these days.
Steve Kornacki had a by line there recently. I thought perhaps DC didn't agree with him.
Anyway...
Howard Dean supporter Ferraro is not a factor.
Nelson is making enemies in Trenton and in Monmouth. If he doesn't clean up his act he'll be mulling where is pay checks are coming from rather than mulling a run at Monmouth GOP chair. I see a yellow pages ad and negotiating plea deals in municipal court in his future.
Ed McKenna is said to be considering a run for chair.
William H Seward said...
"Ed McKenna is said to be considering a run for chair."
For GOP Chair? You do mean Democratic Chair don't you, or do you mean Bob McKenna (no relation) for GOP chair?
I think Jim Giannell would make an excellant chair. He has proven that he can build consensus and doesn't bend under the pressure of a few. Jim has great tent building ability that the Monmouth GOP definitely needs.
With respect, Will. Ed McKenna is the Red Bank D, Bob McKenna is the Wall chair, co-founder of MC GOP for Change.
It's a Carton-Giannell-McKenna issue as I see it currently. Stominski could be a factor if one of the three shifts their support to him and actively backs him...whatever those chances are at this point of the game. It seems as if these three are reluctant at best to run at all, though. I know two of them are and one of them is rumored to be hesitant anyway, from a good source.
All three of them have the resume to be chair. Stominski does as well, if he were to receive the necessary backing (years, name, connections to raise funds, relative popularity among the faithful, first-hand knowledge of gov't). I think Giannell or McKenna, even Stominski, has a much better chance of success than Carton at the job itself. Of course, this is a disputable view to many. Nevertheless, if one asks who is qualified or not, the three are there, and so is Stominski but there are some things in the past with the APP there that have to be addressed.
Stominski does have points that can be made, and could win in a broad appeal to the committee with a particularly effective campaign. The likelihood is speculative, but the weight these three have is not.
Without looking into the future as to what the new chair will or will not do, the issue is who should or could credibly be offered the position.
What Carton, Giannell and McKenna say when time is up is going to define this race and the future of the GOP. Now there's political theater for ya!
By the way, Corley is right. Politicsnj was a real thing when Kornacki was there. Right now it's like some kind of spin machine from lobbyists from both parties, disconnected from the roots and actual events.
Basically, people from Trenton who might have met people from Monmouth at some point and who have some cache from being poltiical gurus. It's not a serious venue anymore.
LOL, yes Sue I meant Bob McKenna for GOP Chair. Ed must have been on my mind because of his friendship with the Freeholder Director. Thank for the correction.
I agree that Jim Gainnell would be very good. His fund raiser ablility is my only concern, albeit a big concern.
Jim Purcell said:
"It's a Carton-Giannell-McKenna issue as I see it currently. Stominski could be a factor if one of the three shifts their support to him and actively backs him...whatever those chances are at this point of the game. It seems as if these three are reluctant at best to run at all, though. I know two of them are and one of them is rumored to be hesitant anyway, from a good source.
I agree. If the four of them could get together and form a team, the county and the party would be well served
EnD
I don't know that the content of the attacks are germane to the complaint, but rather that the manner in which they were distributed violated the ELEC laws.
It is my understanding that all county committee people eligible to vote at the March convention received the piece.
I'm not interested in rehashing the tapes controversy. We been through it before and for what ever reason Terence is not likely going to answer any more than he already has.
Terence has posted a proposed plan for our county party reorganizing. I don't know if Terence is a candidate for any party office or not. Debate on the merits of his plan is welcome. Rehashing old news about Terence is not welcome at this point.
Let's keep it on the CURRENT issues and not on the personalities or past controversies.
Now here is a perfect example of what I was talking about in the other thread. Double Standards. There are people touting Bob Mckenna for chairman.
Has any one bothered to look at how he runs Wall. All iron fist no velvet glove. No bylaws there. Uses two lawyers that feed at the public trough Roger whats his name and Malcom Carton as his hatchet men. JP had said in another post something to the effect of Peter Carton being autocratic. Well he is a piker next to McKenna
Stominski! please stop joking around. He lost election in his own town accomplished nothing as a freeholder and is obviously in politics for what he can get out of it. Hell even Nieman looks good next to those two.
On another note...the State may require disclosures on campaign literature but according to the Supreme court the constitutional right to free speech includes the right to be anonymous speech.
Note to Nelson and Blakely get this into Federal Court. You will win. I believe there is precedent.
Notice Wall did not sue for libel. Could that be because truth is a defense?
Well, enough said. I do not want to be accused of piling on ;)
http://politics.nexcess.net/
insideedge/2006/05/
the_race_for_monmouth_gop_chai.html#comments
If your going to read Wally's post you might as well read the comments.
Michael, welcome back. Who do you like for chairman?
michael borg said...
"we have to stop the balkanization of our party.
we should get all the candidates in a room hash it out in that room and come out united, end all the squabbling...and come out shooting at the dems."
I am in complete agreement with the above.
I am eager to hear about Adam's plans. He has been invited to share them here. I hope he takes me up on that offer.
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