Which Party Controls Freehold?

Politickernj's "Wally Edge" has a piece that suggests that the GOP still has control of Monmouth County government, despite the Dems 3-2 majority. Wally says that Freeholder Director Barbara McMorrow has aligned with Republicans Rob Clifton and Lillian Burry, to the consternation of Trenton Democrats including Chairman Joe Cryan.

Wally's infrequent Monmouth County pieces usually reflect more on the agenda of the source who pitched him the story than they reflect reality. In this case, Wally's facts are more accurate than usual, but his conclusion, that McMorrow has effectively joined the GOP without switching parties, goes too far. Maybe like a baseball umpire who makes one bad call to make up for a previous bad call, Politickernj is making up for calling Jeff Cantor a "GOP Stand Out" when they reported his party switcheroo. Jeff Cantor's GOP star flamed out in 2007.

It is true that there has been tension between McMorrow and D'Amcio. It is true that D'Amico has been heavy handed and acted as though he was in charge. It is also true, that working with Clifton and Burry, McMorrow prevented the "clean sweep" of Republican appointees that the Cryan, D'Amico and County Dem spokesman Mike Magen were giddy about in November when Amy Mallet finally squeaked by John Curley. It is also true that Mallet has aligned with Trenton insider D'Amico. After all, she owes the Trenton Dems for taking over the six figure campaign debt from her failed Assembly campaigns.

None of the above is news to regular MoreMonmouthMusings readers.

However, as McMorrow's comments at the public meeting about the Youth Detention Center indicate, McMorrow's "alliance" with Clifton and Burry is not cast in stone. As reported by the Asbury Park Press McMorrow indicated that she would favor keeping the Youth Detention Center open, if she could identify cost savings. D'Amico and Mallet were unequivocal in their support of keeping the YDC open, despite the fact that $2.5 million would be saved by closing the center and detaining the 20 some odd youthful offenders in Middlesex County's superior facility.

So, which party controls Freehold? Neither. Barabara McMorrow does. She is a classic swing voter and she is the Director.

Wally Edge's piece reports that Democratic insiders say McMorrow hasn't decided if she will seek re-election this year. I think she will. Apparently do many others. So far there is only one declared GOP candidate for Freeholder this year, Eileen Kean. In recent years there have been six or seven candidates vying for the GOP Freeholder nomination this time of year. This is expected to be a good year for the GOP in Monmouth with the Governor's race on the top of the ticket. Yet the prospect of running against Barbara McMorrow is apparently keeping many potential GOP candidates on the sidelines.

Ironically, a McMorrow-Kean match up may guarantee at least another year of neither party controlling Freehold. Like McMorrow, Kean swings both ways, politically speaking. Despite strong Republican credentials like being the sister of a Republican State Senator and being the President of the Neptune Republican Club, Kean is a regular contributor to Frank Pallone's ever growing campaign coffers. She has also given to Steve Rothman, Rob Andrews, and Bob Torricelli. For those who follow the link, it is the same Eileen Kean reporting from all three states listed.

Here's an interesting question: What if McMorrow doesn't run? What if Kean has already sewn up the GOP nomination before McMorrow declares she is not running? How many potential GOP candidates will be kicking themselves for not competing for the nomination?

Is the Monmouth Freeholder race about to get interesting? Probably not. But something tells me that that is exactly what Wally's source is hoping for.