SOUTH TOMS RIVER, NJ – South Toms River is often referred to as a little town with a big heart and political events that unfolded this week proved that motto to be true.
When you think of South Toms River, a small Jersey Shore town with a population of just under 4,000 residents, you don’t think of Republicans and you definitely don’t think an election for borough council here would garner national attention. For starters, in 2020, South Toms River was one of the few towns in Ocean County where Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump.
But, that is what happened this week when Republicans gained a 5-0 majority on the township council after a special election and it wasn’t an easy victory. Everyone was thinking Republican.
It all started in 2020 when Democrat candidate George Rutzler defeated Republican Sandford Ross by 2 votes in the November general election, but Ross contested the election results to the Ocean County Election Board. Ross questioned several ballots cast in the election, that he felt were not valid and would have given him the victory.
The Ocean County Election Board, chaired by Ocean County GOP Chairman Frank Holman sided with Democrat George Rutzler and confirmed Rutzler’s two-vote victory, rejecting Sandford’s claims. Sandford fought Holman’s decision and filed a lawsuit to appeal the decision at the Ocean County Superior court.
$85,000 in legal fees later, the trial court ruled in favor of Sandford’s victory, but GOP Chairman Holman’s election board wasn’t done fighting Sandford. The board appealed the superior court ruling, in an attempt to defeat Sandford and hand the victory back to the Democrats.
Holman’s appeal was subsequently denied by the appellate court, granting Sandford a second chance to defeat Rutzler inside the election booth.
Behind the scenes, in 2021, Holman promised Sandford’s political campaign a $15,000 check from the county GOP organization to help them recoup their $85,000 legal bill, but Holman reneged on that promise, telling Sandford and his team he needed that money for a hotly contested general election in Manchester Township.
You might wonder why Ocean County GOP Chairman Holman pulled financial support for Sandford, a Republican in such an important local election.
Enter former GOP Chairman George Gilmore.
Sandford never received the Ocean County GOP backing he sought, instead, his campaign found support and backing from the Southern Ocean County Republican PAC, with ties to former Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore.
Holman has been feuding with Gilmore since taking control of the party and has vowed in public and in private not to help any political candidates who are working with the former chairman. In the past he threatened to outcast Berkeley Township Mayor Carmen Amato and the Berkeley Township Republican Club and orchestrated multiple failed coups of the Toms River Republican Club, eventually forming his own new club which he later recognized as the official club of Toms River, led by his lackeys Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill and Toms River Councilman Kevin Geohegan.
Holman, by all means, has not been a good county chairman, instead, he has been driven by an obsessive and compulsive feud against Gilmore, his arch-nemesis.
Holman was upset after Sandford leaned on Gilmore and SOCR-PAC for support, particularly after Holman’s election board not only voted against him but sought to overturn a court ruling in Sandford’s favor. Holman previously ordered Ocean County Republicans not to donate or support the SOCR-PAC, even sending a letter to the party leaders declaring his non-support for the PAC which raises money for Republican candidates in Ocean County.
Sandford hired Strategic Communications, a political consulting firm run by Gilmore and Ocean County Commissioner Jack Kelly to work on his runoff election campaign.
Holman was not happy about it. It is probably why Holman never sent Sandford the political contributions he promised earlier. Gilmore said Holman’s interfering in the case hurt Sandford’s campaign.
“If the Ocean County election board, led by Chairman Frank Holman didn’t appeal the court’s ruling in favor of Sandford Ross, we could have held this election last year,” Gilmore said of Holman’s meddling in the election.
The scenario is a good example of why a sitting political party chairman should not also be the chairman of the county election board.
Gilmore’s SOCAR PAC and the South Toms River Republican Club managed to raise $50,000 for Sandford to help his campaign pay back some of the legal fees needed to force this week’s runoff.
Sandford’s victory raised more than a few eyebrows in New Jersey political circles and gained the attention of RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.
“Even in blue New Jersey, Republicans are racking up big wins! Biden carried South Toms River in 2020, but in yesterday’s special election Republicans won it 64% to 36%,” said RNC national chairwoman Ronna McDaniel of the victory.
South Toms River Republicans now hold every council seat in the borough and are looking to defeat Democrat Mayor Greg Handshy in the 2022 general election.
The South Toms River election shows how deep Holman’s feud with Gilmore and those who support Gilmore, whether real or imaginary in the chairman’s mind actually runs. It was also a huge political victory for Gilmore and Kelly.
Holman’s days as GOP chairman are winding down as he announced he will not run for re-election this year. Hoping to take his place is Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy, now firmly entrenched in the Holman political camp after being an ally of Gilmore for decades prior.