Rutgers student seeks to steal Sauickie’s death bed arranged thunder in District 12

by Phil Stilton

JACKSON, NJ – As former New Jersey Assemblyman Ron Dancer was on his deathbed, forces aligned with Dancer staffer Clara Glory, a Jackson Township bodega owner, plotted their hand-picked successor to the longtime assemblyman upon his eventual death. That successor was Jackson Township councilman Alex Sauickie, a close political ally of Glory.

Sauickie was named interim assemblyman to serve until January of 2023, but will have to compete for the office against Rutgers student Kimani Scott to fill the one-year vacancy of dancers seat and Trenton.

The effort to make Sauickie the permanent replacement for Dancer is by far not a done deal according to political insiders in Ocean County. As Glory runs a political campaign against the endorsed Republican ticket in Jackson she has begun alienating herself among Ocean County Republicans.

Glory serves as the municipal chairwoman of the Jackson Township Republican Municipal Committee, but but is now running a ticket that includes a former Democrat and independent and incumbent councilman Andrew Kern against a ticket headed by three-time Republican incoming mayor Michael Reina.


That decision has put Glory at odds with the Ocean County GOP elected officials who were hoping for a peaceful and unifying campaign in Jackson Township after years of division under the leadership of Glory’s close ally former chairman Frank B. Holman.


Even if Sauickie can defeat Scott, 21, Republican insiders this week said Sauickie may face a blistering and heated primary next June as forces in Ocean County and Monmouth County will likely battle each other to unseat Sauickie and replace him with one of their own.

Scott appears to be the underdog in the race, however, a sharp division within Jackson Republican politics led by Glory, could sway opponents to vote Democrat instead of backing a member of the opposition Republican faction.

Forces aligned with Glory have recently announced they will be forming a new Republican party in Ocean County, but that threat has mostly been mocked and laughed at by elected officials seeking election this year and next year. Glory aligned forces have even suggested forming a new Republican Club in Jackson Township after the majority of club members voted against the Glory backed candidates last month.

Jackson Township business owner and well-known curmudgeon Marty Flemming is running under the Glory banner along with turn, and independent political newcomer Samara Porter and incumbent outside Andrew Kern.

Both Kern and Sauickie screened to challenge New Jersey National Republican Committeewoman Virginia Haines, 76, and Jack Kelly for Ocean County Commissioner, ruffling the feathers of GOP leadership this spring.

Now, Flemming faces an all-or-nothing battle to become the next mayor of Jackson. Sources within the Ocean County Republican Party said today that it is doubtful that in the event he loses in November to Reina that he will be chosen by the club to run again for council again in 2024.

Forces aligned with Reina are anticipating a clean sweep in November that will send Flemming and Kern packing and to retake the assembly seat currently held by Sauickie next year to remove Glory and her close political followers from Jackson politics for good.

Both sides predict that this year’s election will be a heated and bloody battle to the end, in a town where elections are seen as a blood sport. Mudslinging on both sides in the Republican versus Republican battle has already begun.

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