TOMS RIVER, NJ – Ocean County GOP Chairman Frank B. Holman has made up his mind. He wants to see Jack Cittarelli be the next Republican candidate for Governor in New Jersey and is making it difficult for other candidates to have a fair shot at winning the Republican party line in Ocean County’s June gubernatorial primary election.
Holman has publicly endorsed Ciattarelli, a staunch opponent of President Donald J. Trump and so have most of the members of the county’s screening committee. Essentially, it’s a done deal and one candidate, Joseph Rudy Rullo said he wants nothing to do with Holman’s dog and pony show screening committee on Saturday. Rullo was expected to screen before Holman and his hand-picked entourage, but now says he will go forward in his campaign for Governor without the support of the Ocean County GOP establishment. Recent history, Rullo says, shows that under Holman’s leadership, the county line in Republican primaries is meaningless after the party rank and file defeated Holman and his screening committee in 2020 when Holman’s two preferred candidates lost in a floor vote at the county convention.
“After much thought, I’ve decided not to screen in my home County,” Rullo said. “In all the years of being affiliated with the OCGOP the County chairmen and co-chairwomen have always stayed neutral and respected the Ocean County screening process by withholding their endorsement until after the screening process. Chairman Holman appoints all the members of the OCGOP screening committee and with his endorsement and his Co-chairwoman Barbara Lanuto’s endorsement of Jack Ciaterelli the process is already rigged.”
Even worse, Rullo said, co-chairwoman Lanuto is one of the screening committee members.
“The screening committee is not impartial since the OCGOP chairman who picked them endorsed Jack Ciaterelli and his Co-chairwoman who votes on the screening committee publicly endorsed Jack Ciaterelli prior to screening committee vote this Saturday,” Rullo said. “As an Ocean County resident and a Gubernatorial candidate who has notified the OCGOP that I will be screening, it is a slap in the face to a potential candidate and the only candidate to ever officially run for Governor on the Republican side out of Ocean County. This is exactly why year after year the NJ GOP loses statewide races. They pick the same old RINOs who do not excite the conservative base of the party.”
Rullo last week attacked Ciattarelli calling him “Unfit to be governor of New Jersey” because he worked against the administration of President Donald J. Trump and now accuses the county screening committee members as being “Trumpdumpers”, Republicans who have distanced themselves from the former U.S. President since the leftwing media and Democrats demonized him, claiming involvement in the January 6th riots.
Ironically, Holman organized his own contingent and chartered a bus to participate in the January 6th uprising in Washington, D.C., then days letter condemned the President’s actions.
“As we recover from our depression of this week, let us rededicate ourselves to improving our country. Let’s work hard to elect leaders who can unite us. Let’s look to God for guidance. Let us dust off our Abraham Lincoln biography. He led us through our country’s darkest time,” Holman said.
“I’ve clearly exposed Jack Ciaterelli as the NeverTrumper who betrayed the party and even ran a candidate against the OCGOP in 2017 against Freeholder Joe Vicari,” Rullo said. “Ciaterelli admitted he didn’t vote for Trump against Hillary in 2016 and called President unfit to be President and a Charlton. Chairman Holman should disband the screening committee and allow all candidates to be considered off the floor or face the same embarrassing situation of losing their rigged endorsed screening pick like last year when both candidates were soundly defeated at the convention. We all know Jack Ciaterelli paid off the County organizations and promised to give Ginny Haines Lieutenant Governor.”
Hirsh Singh, a conservative from Atlantic County is also expected to screen and is hoping to win the party line once again in a floor vote to overturn Holman’s selection.