Chairman Adam Puharic

By an overwhelming majority, 61%, Adam Puharic was elected Monmouth County GOP Chairman.

Despite my endorsement of Jim Giannell, I admit that the best candidate won. The buzz in the room clearly indicated a Puharic victory was at hand, prior to the speeches. Adam's speach was so good, and Giannell's so bad that I briefly considered changing my own vote.

Giannell was at his best at the end of the evening, when after the authentic show of unity, Jim reminded Adam to thank and acknowledge former Chairman Frederick P. Neimann. Adam was at his best when he disavowed his "the conventions are a cancer" statement and publicly asked Jim to help him with the conventions.

In an email to me earlier this week, former Freeholder candidate Tommy DeSeno said,

"It's no secret who the two main fighting factions were in the last two conventions, and not enough time has passed for the wounds they have inflicted upon one another to heal for one faction to fall in line behind a leader from the other faction. The party will remain split if someone from either side wins.

Adam Puharic was not part of either of those factions. I can say that with absolute certainty from being a candidate which gave me front row seats to the action - Adam didn't involve himself in making an enemy of either side.

That's why I'm sure Adam can bring the party together. Both of the factions can easily fall in behind him, because doing so does not involve the setting aside of ill will, which is hard for anyone to do."

While I agree that we all should unite behind Adam, I'm not sure all will easily fall in behind Adam. There were some prominent concerned faces in the crowd at the end of the night. In the last week it as appeared that Adam was aligned with a faction. Yet Adam declared that he is his own man. He promised to heal and unite the party. Now he needs to do it. I am rooting for him and I am behind him.

I hope Adam does everything he said he would do and that he makes me find new material to keep this blog interesting.

In his parting remarks, former Chairman Fred Neimann took another shot at the blogs. Many think that this blog and Abe's contributed to Fred's demise as Chairman. Apparently Fred is among them. Fred was chairman at a very difficult time. Of that there is no question. For taking it on, hanging in there when the unimaginable happened, and still winning, Fred deserves our deep gratitude. For graciously bowing out and not seeking another term, he also deserves our gratitude.