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ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS HERALD |
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MONMOUTH REPUBLICANS SERVE UP GREAT THEATRE Great theatre in Republican politics is coming to West Long Branch this Saturday. For the first time in many years, the Monmouth County Republican Party is holding a convention to nominate candidates. Not only will delegates vote for gubernatorial nominees, but also there promises to be contested elections for many different offices. At the top of the ticket, the convention should be interesting. In 2001, Monmouth County supported Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler and propelled him to a primary victory in June. This time around, Schundler will be counting on past support to put him over the top, but Doug Forrester has been coming on strong. Schundler doesn’t need a victory to keep moving forward, but several other candidates need a win to remain viable until the June primary. Local politics take the stage after that battle. In the 13 th district, Assemblyman Joe Azzolina has got a fight on his hands. Freeholder Amy Handlin is challenging Azzolina for his spot on the ticket with Sam Thompson, and she is counting on the Middletown delegation to carry her onto victory. Azzolina’s razor think victory in the 2003 general election has made him vulnerable, and party leaders don’t believe that he can win the general election in Middletown- both his and Handlin’s home base. It would be ironic if Handlin captures the party line over Thompson, creating a possible three way primary in June. In the 12 th District, the race is wide open. There are four great candidates seeking to challenge Dr. Robert Morgan and Assemblyman Mike Panter for their seats. It appears that Little Silver Councilman Declan O’Scanlan and former Howell Mayor Mike Fitzgerald have the inside track, but Red Bank’s Jennifer Beck and former Assemblywoman Clare Farragher are also right there. This should be the race with the most intrigue, and no one really knows who will prevail at the convention. Finally, the race to replace Freeholder Tom Powers on the GOP ticket is very difficult to handicap. Former Colts Neck Mayor Lillian Berry has made some inroads, but Howell Deputy Mayor Cynthia Shoemaker and Holmdel Committeewoman Serena DeMaso are in the running. This election will probably boil down to which candidate can corral the most votes from populous towns, like Middletown and Wall. It will be interesting to see which candidates those towns respective Municipal chairs will support. At this point, the race remains wide open and a dark horse could still emerge. It’s been a long time since this much interest followed Monmouth County Republicans. After years of stability and no challenges, there is actual competition for slots on the party line. Some might say that there is unrest among the faithful while others say that it shows the deep GOP bench in Monmouth County. Whatever it is, it should be a wild show this Saturday at Branches.
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