So last night the numbers came in, and the ticket not supported by the the party leadership will be gracing the ballot in June, and then most likely in November, with the county line. Rob Hermansen and Peg Watkins walked away with substantial margins of victory, winning by over 100 county committee member votes. However, hundreds of members still voted for the challengers.
The fractures in the Bergen County Republican Organization are easily observed and well documented at this point. And even though Yudin’s candidates did not win the internal ballot, he says that he will be seeking re-election to return as the party chairman in Bergen for another two years. So the question remains, after this obvious set back, does he survive?
You know Save Jerseyans, maybe I take that back. The above poll certainly is “a” question, but it might not be “the” question after all. I think maybe the question is what happens to the BCRO from here. Chairmen do tend to come and go, but the party structure usually remains. No one seems to have really stepped up to fill Bob’s shoes in leadership, but even when they do, what would they be taking control of?
The cracks in the BCRO seem to have grown with every new year of success the organization has had, and to be honest I think the almost shocking losses in LD38 and down ballot last year really put everyone on edge. If Bergen wants to continue to be the successful organization it has been, these people need to rally together as soon as possible or they risk returning to minority status for another decade. The ramifications of a breakdown in Bergen would ring throughout the state and be bad for the Republicans as a whole, including Governor Christie in 2013. So maybe the question should not be whether Yudin survives, but whether BCRO itself does.
