Monmouth GOP convention adjourns in controversy, without a candidate By BILL ALBERS
PoliticsNJ.comAPRIL 8 - In a contentious and bitter convention, a deeply divided Monmouth County Republican Party narrowly chose and endorsed Middletown Committeewoman Rose Marie Peters to run for Surrogate, but left the issue of who won the endorsement for Freeholder up in the air following a voided second ballot.
A glitch in the count -- discovered after delegates had left -- leaves the party without a clear winner.
Peters will face Democrat Beverly Bova Scarano of Middletown in the general election. Either Howell Mayor Joseph DiBella or Manalapan Committeeman Andrew Lucas will run alongside Freeholder Anna Little on the Republican ticket against Freehold Borough Councilwoman Barbara McMorrow and Middletown Board of Education member Leonard Inzerillo.
The race for Surrogate, perhaps the more civil of the two battles today, was decided on the first ballot. Peters defeated Little Silver Councilman Rick DeNoia by a 233 – 222 margin.
Shortly before the vote, both candidates touted their experience and electoral strength.
"Based on my legal career and my twenty-four years of experience, I feel I am uniquely qualified for this job," said DeNoia.
"I'm electable," countered Peters. "I ran against (Scarano) for Town Committee and beat her, despite Democrats investing a lot of money into the race."
"Money is important, but it's not everything," she added, touting her ability to pull crucial Middletown votes away from the Democrats.
The Freeholder candidates spoke briefly as well, hitting the key Republican themes of fiscal responsibility, open space preservation, and as a testament to the new found Democratic strength in Monmouth County, the five candidates touted their electability as well, something Republicans have not needed to worry about much in the past.
"I defeated an incumbent Democratic mayor despite a two-to-one Democratic registration advantage," Lucas boasted.
DiBella, whom many insiders expected to win following a narrow loss to Little in last month's special election convention, countered with his own electoral record.
"I've been elected five times, winning my last election by 2 to 1," said DiBella, who also claimed that being the mayor of Monmouth County's largest municipality would be a huge asset to Republican chances in the general election.
"I've made it a habit of beating Democrats in November," he shouted, to applause from select members of the partisan crowd.
Holmdel Committeeman Terrance Wall, who painted himself as an independent voice, said his views and his record qualified himself to be the Republican nominee.
"This election will be about big ideas, and not big money," said Wall.|
"I have a proven record of cutting taxes, and preserving open space," he continued, "and I would cherish the opportunity to serve."|
Marlboro Mayor Richard Kleinberg and Spring Lake Councilman Brian Reilly also spoke to the crowd. Kleinberg spoke of needing to unite behind common goals and his support from the Asbury Park Press; Reilly spoke of the need for ethics reform and holding himself to a "higher standard."
After the candidates spoke, the crowd of nearly five hundred Republicans lined up to cast their ballots. During the long wait, the seven candidates worked the crowd, as did Assemblymen Corodemus and Kean, State Senator Joseph Kyrillos, and Little Silver Councilman Declan O'Scanlon.
DiBella amassed a large plurality of votes on the first ballot, beating Lucas by more than two-to-one. He came 20 votes short of the '50% plus one' majority needed to avoid a second ballot.
Reilly and Kleinberg finished fourth and fifth, respectively, and were dropped from the ballot as per the rules, setting up a three-way race between DiBella, Lucas, and Wall.
As Republican officials worked to reset the voting machines for the second round, the hopefuls for Freeholder were working hard trying to expand on their regional bases and gather support from the other candidates.
Nervousness swept the candidates as the second round of voting began. When asked if he was feeling confident, DiBella responded, "I'll let you know in a few minutes."
Shortly after voting began, however, Wall loudly flagged down supporters to tell them to instead support Lucas, and requested to be dropped from the second ballot. A conference ensued, and Republican Chairman Fred Neimann ordered the second round halted, the machines reset, and the ballot changed.
The twenty ballots which were cast prior to the change were voided.
This infuriated a number of DiBella supporters, who cried foul over the unusual move well into the new round of voting. They point to the fact that not everyone whose vote was voided following the start of the second ballot returned to cast another ballot after the machines were reset.
After those who had stayed had finished voting, the machine-by-machine results were read. DiBella and Lucas supporters hastily tallied the totals as they were announced.
That initial count resulted in a 230 – 229 Lucas victory.
Lucas supporters shouted for joy and leaped into the air, cheering their upset. DiBella, meanwhile, consoled his upset mother.
A beaming Lucas, whose candidacy didn't attract major endorsements like DiBella and Wall's did, insisted the win "didn't take down the party."
"The message is that the GOP is looking to put on a new face," he said, trying to find time to talk to reporters between shaking supporters' hands and receiving congratulations.
DiBella declined comment following the results.
Both Lucas and Peters recognized the need to repair the divisions in their party that were apparent at the convention today.
"It'll be a challenge to bring the party together," said Peters, noting the high emotions of the Freeholder candidates' supporters. "They need to feel their disappointment for a while, but afterwards, they'll realize it's critical to unify."
Lucas took the view that healing the party was his job as a countywide candidate.
"My first job as a candidate will be working with the party faithful to unify so we can get out our message," said the 28-year-old Princeton graduate.
Creating unity in the party may not be easy however, as even after the convention, no one knows who the candidate for Freeholder will be.
Long after the crowd had left and returned home, however, questions began to arise about whether or not the initial tally was accurate. Dan Gallic, Executive Director of the Monmouth GOP, issued a statement afterwards declaring the vote of the committee a tie.
"After further review of the poll workers and the people who set the machines, the vote for Freeholder at the Monmouth County Convention is not final," Gallic said.
After further discussion, the second ballot was eventually declared void. This sets off a major problem for the Monmouth Republicans, who only have until Monday afternoon to finalize their slate.
What happens next for the Monmouth Republican party is not entirely clear, though one insider believes the final decision regarding who wins the endorsement will be made by Neimann.
"There's just not enough time," the insider said.
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