JACKSON, NJ – New Jersey Assemblyman Ron Dancer’s passing two weeks ago has opened political doors for politicians in Ocean County to fill his now vacant seat in Trenton. This week, Republicans will gather in Freehold to decide who will fill that seat.
A political battle is brewing in Jackson once again. What else is new? Jackson Republicans have been feuding with each other since the days of the Hatfields and McCoys.
At first, it was anticipated that Mayor Michael Reina would take his self-described rightful spot in Dancer’s seat until he learned that he had no major backing in the race. None of the county chairman would offer him an endorsement, including Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore.
Gilmore, once an ally of Reina was cast aside by Reina when Frank B. Holman became the chairman of the party three years ago. For years, Reina pretended Gilmore didn’t exist. Days after Gilmore defeated Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy to succeed Holman, Reina’s fingers became numb, making phone calls to dozens of Gilmore associates, trying to get back into the Chairman’s inner circle where he once sat, by his side, like a puppy dog.
Less than 24 hours after entering the race, Reina, who bragged to many about not running for re-election in Jackson said he has work to finish as mayor in Jackson and withdrew. Insiders in Ocean County know that response was a ruse, and Reina had little backing outside of the religious voting block in the Jackson Republican committee. Even those votes weren’t guaranteed after that bloc was humiliated in the chairman’s race.
Reina knew the bloc vote would go to whoever Chairman Gilmore endorsed and saw the writing on the wall.
Now, the race is between Dominick Cuozzo, the pastor of the Bible Baptist Church of New Egypt, and Alex Sauickie, a former Reina ally who intended to run against Reina. Sauickie is hands down the favorite in this race as he now has the endorsement of Brenda Dancer, the wife of the late assemblyman who wishes to see her seat filled by the Jackson Township councilman.
Then there’s Scott Martin, a former Jackson Councilman who was sacked by Reina several years ago, but chances are slim that Martin can pull off more than a few votes. He’s been MIA since Reina and the Jackson GOP backdoored him in his last election.
Chairman Gilmore has endorsed Cuozzo and while the race seems to be in Sauickie’s favor, shore area Republicans have learned one lesson over the years. Never underestimate Gilmore’s ability to win an election.
Clara Glory, the chairwoman of the Jackson GOP County Committee reportedly rejected an offer by Gilmore to have Sauickie step down to clear the way for Cuozzo. Glory could come out the big winner in the election on Thursday as she prepares to focus on challenging Reina and his team, with a full slate of candidates to challenge Reina in November.
Again, this is Jackson and anything can happen. Reina and Glory have been frenemies for decades with an on-again-off-again feud that would be the envy of any Hollywood soap opera writer. The two go to battle against each other frequently but often come back together for mutually beneficial causes, typically with personal gains to be made.
Once Jackson and Ocean County Republicans get through the current three-way feud in Jackson, the stage will be set for an epic feud between Glory and her long-time Jackson resident followers and Reina’s new allegiance with newer members of the community.
The odds at this time are Sauickie 40% Cuozzo 38% and Martin 2% as Monmouth County Chairman Shawn Golden appears to be in the “Anybody but George’s Guy” camp in this race. Regardless of who wins the race, the bigger victory on Thursday will be for the backers of the candidates and not the actual candidates themselves.