TOMS RIVER, NJ – The Ocean County GOP organization had its bank account nearly wiped hours before Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy lost his bid to succeed Frank Holman as the party chairman. With the writing on the wall, Mastronardy aligned Republicans loyal to the likes of Holman, Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill, and New Jersey Assemblyman Greg McGuckin began writing checks, tens of thousands of dollars in total to deplete the Republican party’s bank accounts.
That left incoming Chairman George Gilmore with just about $7,000 to run the organization, including paying rent on the organization’s downtown headquarters and other bills.
Since taking office in July, Gilmore is turning things around. The new chairman has raised over $250,000 in campaign contributions that will go toward helping Ocean County Republicans defeat Democrats this coming November.
Last week, Gilmore hosted a fundraiser for New Jersey Senator Robert Singer, raising an impressive $150,000 for the event where tickets sold for as much as $5,000. Charlie’s restaurant in Bayhead was packed to capacity.
“The business owner said we couldn’t get any more people in the room,” Gilmore said. “We raised about $150,000 and it was a successful night.”
Gilmore today said accounts about the event being comped were absolutely false but stopped short of blaming New Jersey Assemblyman Greg McGuckin for intentionally releasing misinformation meant to divide the now-unifying Republican organization.
This week, Shore News Network learned that an attempt by McGuckin to once again divide the party has fallen upon deaf ears as most GOP elected officials said they will be supporting the county Republican organization candidates in November and not following McGuckin’s threat of forming a new countywide Republican organization.
McGuckin, after being unsuccessful in taking over the regular Republican Club of Toms River, formed his own off-shoot Republican party along with Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill, Toms River Council President Kevin Geoghegan, and others.
As more prominent Republicans pledge their loyalty to the Ocean County Republican organization, the McGuckin-aligned secessionists have indicated they intend to continue their battle against Gilmore despite Gilmore’s renewed ability to raise serious funding for Ocean County Republicans.
It seems at this point that McGuckin’s “take my ball and go home” political strategy is backfiring now that his close ally Frank Holman has resigned and retreated to Florida, most likely never to be seen again in Ocean County Republican party circles.
The members of the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders have not made any announcements yet to join the McGuckin and Hill lead uprising against the GOP.