LAKEWOOD, NJ – The Lakewood VAAD, a board of Orthodox Jewish community leaders and rabbis in the city has endorsed Congressman Chris Smith in the June 7th Republican primary election. Smith, who has been in office since 1981 is being challenged by Trump-aligned America First candidate Mike Crispi next Tuesday.
The question is, how valuable is the VAAD’s endorsement in modern-day Lakewood. Lakewood has grown and Orthodox Jews from around the United States have made the pilgrimage to Lakewood, to call home. Those new voters don’t seem to care as much who the VAAD endorses and while Jack Ciattarelli won Lakewood with a 23% margin over Phil Murphy, there have been recent VAAD upsets in some major statewide elections.
“Our longtime friend and Congressman, Chris Smith is being seriously challenged by a young newcomer,” The VAAD said in a statement. “It is therefore critical that we show our unwaveringly support.”
If the Orthodox Jewish community listens to its leaders in Lakewood and Jackson, those votes will not only carry Chris Smith into the winner’s circle, it will give the Orthodox Jewish community full control over the Jackson Township Republican party.
No matter how the rest of the county votes in the election due to low voting numbers outside of Lakewood, a large showing by the Orthodox community will push Smith to certain victory countywide.
In Jackson, Jewish leaders are planning a coup of the local Republican club, running on a slate named Republicans for Jackson. The goal of that slate is to unseat local secular leadership in the club in order to gain political control of the township government and boards.
The effort was organized by Mordechai Burstein and Tzvi Herman and if fully supported by Mayor Michael Reina and Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey Director Avi Schnall.
If successful, Reina and the largely Orthodox Jewish-based Republicans for Jackson will unseat lifelong Jackson residents Todd Porter and Clara Glory from the municipal Republican county committee, along with several key leaders in the community including currently serving councilmen and other local community leaders.