TOMS RIVER, NJ – Ocean County GOP chairman George Gilmore today said while it’s never easy to be on the losing end of an election, the turnout at this week’s convention shows the strength of the Ocean County GOP organization.
While Gilmore lost several key votes, he acknowledged it’s all part of the game.
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Tom Bonfonti, Gilmore’s guy Friday today said, “On Wednesday evening, the Ocean County GOP help their annual nominating convention. This year’s convention, held at the Clarion Hotel in Toms River, saw an overwhelming turnout, a record number of candidates that participated in the screening process and was attended by leaders from throughout the state.”
In a room where Gilmore is used to winning everything, today he conceded that things didn’t totally go his way this year, but said he is optimistic about 2023 going forward.
“This convention should provide optimism about the strength of the Republican party in Ocean County and beyond,” Gilmore said. “We had approximately 40 candidates screen for various positions and unfortunately had a limited number of positions to fill. I would like to congratulate the winners, of course, but I would also like to thank all of the candidates who participated and came up short. It is never easy to be on the losing end of an election, and all of the candidates participated with dignity and class.”
Gilmore went on to say that despite the heated races this year, Ocean County still maintains the strongest Republican organization in New Jersey and the main goal is to keep Democrats from being elected to seats in the county.
He also said he will be focusing on removing Democrats in Brick Township, the only town in the county under Democrat control.
“We have an opportunity to take back Republican control in Brick for the first time in years. It won’t be easy, but if we come together as an organization we can defeat the only Democrat stronghold that remains,” he said.