Five of twelve state legislators representing segments of Monmouth County have endorsed Christine Hanlon’s bid for the country GOP chairmanship.
You can click here to read the endorsement letter in pdf format, Save Jerseyans. The letter’s signatories include Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, and Assemblyman Dave Rible.
Also listed is state Senator Joe Kyrillos, the NJGOP’s presumptive U.S. Senate nominee and a close personal friend of Governor Christie. Read into that what you will.
Collectively, the endorsing legislators emphasized Hanlon’s high level of party activity in recent electoral cycles:
With the recent nomination of Monmouth County Republican Chair Joe Oxley to become the Superior Court bench, we must find a new Chair who will continue his recent successes in leading our party. Christine Hanlon has played an integral part in those successes and we are writing today to ask you to vote for Christine to succeed Chairman Oxley as Monmouth County Republican Chair. “
Missing from the list?
State Senator Robert Singer (R-30)
State Senator Samuel D. Thompson (R-12)
Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-13)
Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R-11)
Assemblyman Robert Clifton (R-12)
Assemblyman Ronald Stanley Dancer (R-12)
Assemblyman Sean Kean (R-30)
No word yet whether endorsements from these legislators are forthcoming, if they intend to sit on the sidelines or, alternatively, if they’ve opted to back Hanlon’s as-of-yet low key adversary for the chairmanship, former Governor John O. Bennett.
For now, Save Jerseyans, things appear to be falling into place for Hanlon. Right before Memorial Day Weekend, her camp issued a release claiming to have secured the support of more than 50% of the county committee membership. That’s good enough for the win if true.
5 of 9 endorsed Hanlon.
Singer and Dancer are from Ocean County. Thompson is from Middlesex County, where he is GOP Chair.
The only "missing" endorsements are Kean, O'Scanlon and Casagrande. They are not likely to issue endorsements for either candidate.
Whoops. Clifton also "missing" and not likely to endorse.
They're not "from" Monmouth but their districts include Monmouth towns. Presumably they could weigh in, right? But I'll defer to you on this one!