Spadea and Gilmore – perfect together
Guest Editorial by Jeri Bahar
Back in the 80’s, “New Jersey and You — Perfect Together” was former Gov. Thomas Kean’s tourism slogan for the Garden State. The famous video showed Kean strolling the beach in a light blue collared shirt, Martha’s Vineyard-style sweater, and khakis — not your typical Jersey Shore apparel. But it worked, and the slogan stuck, even though he spoke it with his trademark Kennedy accent. At least he wasn’t wearing black calf-height socks, shorts, and leather sandals.
There are many things “Jersey” that are perfect together: pork roll, egg and cheese, diners where those out late or up early converge and co-exist; things those not from here may not understand. What Jersey folks do understand, proudly or otherwise, is that New Yorkers love the left lane and that folks from Philly and southwest Jersey emphasize the letter “O” as used in phOne and hOagie.
Jersey’s rich — depending on one’s viewpoint — heritage includes the Mob, the Vig, scams, corruption, the slight nod (with or without a wink) that forms a contract under New Jersey cultural law, and how everyone “knows a guy.” Like many other places and peoples, New Jersey had and has a seedier side. But here, we somehow embrace it and romanticize it more than most. Could The Sopranos have been from Iowa or Texas? Of course not. Some benefit from an affiliation with those who are up to no good, while others somehow feel important just by knowing somebody up to no good.
Jack Ciattarelli is the official statewide Republican candidate for governor. Ocean County has historically been a Republican stronghold, such that Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore himself has been reported to have said, “All roads to Republicans winning in New Jersey run through Ocean County.”
Gilmore was tried and convicted of crimes but eventually pardoned by President Trump, presumably with the nudging of one Bill Stepien, Trump’s White House Director of Political Affairs (2017-2018) and campaign manager for the 2020 cycle. Stepien was previously Chris Christie’s campaign manager (twice) and reportedly the former paramour of Bridget Anne Kelly, who was convicted in the Bridgegate scandal. She was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment (later reduced to 13), but on May 7, 2020, the United States Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, overturned her conviction as well as that of co-defendant Bill Baroni.
Bill Stepien didn’t just know Chris Christie and Bridget Anne Kelly — he was also campaign manager for Bill Baroni’s 2003 Assembly race, which Baroni won. Stepien received a subpoena about Bridgegate but invoked the Fifth Amendment. When, in the eyes of many, Governor Christie was throwing bodies under the bus to exculpate himself from Bridgegate, Christie, who had just advanced Stepien for state GOP chair, said, “[I’ve] lost my confidence in Bill’s judgment.” Christie and Stepien appeared to have parted ways, just as did Christie and Trump. That Stepien and Trump wound up together worked out well for George Gilmore.
Gilmore and Stepien have the appearance of a political, if not business, relationship. In the latter part of 2022, Gilmore is said to have brought in Stepien to manage and/or otherwise work on Ocean County Republican campaigns. Additionally, Stepien was reportedly an advisor to Curtis Bashaw’s failed campaign for U.S. Senate, where George Gilmore promoted the openly gay married man throughout conservative Ocean County.
Former Democratic Gov. Jim McGreevey, who in his resignation speech on August 12, 2004 famously proclaimed, “I am a gay American,” is now a candidate for mayor of Jersey City. Gilmore reportedly coordinated, organized, and/or attended a fundraiser for McGreevey’s campaign with the event being held in, of all places, Ocean County — at a venue often used by Gilmore for political events. Last time I checked, Jersey City is not in Ocean County, and I do not know how many Jersey City voters there are in Ocean County.
Where do Gilmore and Stepien fit in with Bill Spadea? That’s an often-asked question. Gilmore, who has repeatedly called himself an “organization man,” went all in on Spadea for governor even before Ocean County Republicans made their choice. In fact, according to those who were there, at Gilmore’s event venue Ciattarelli was not even allowed to speak, even though Spadea spoke. This was pre-primary. When June 10 came, Ciattarelli trounced Spadea statewide as well as in Ocean County.
Gilmore still, in the eyes of many, lacks enthusiasm for the Republican gubernatorial candidate, barely giving perfunctory lip service to the official candidate of New Jersey Republicans — including Ocean County Republicans. Gilmore appears to only be an “organization man” sometimes.
Elect Common Sense, a PAC launched by Spadea, is disclosed as a source of income for George Gilmore. Spadea, who reportedly paid himself from either his campaign, a PAC, or both, has not retreated to private pondering but is openly not backing Ciattarelli. Has Gilmore been using his position as Ocean County GOP chairman to make money as a political consultant? Is he withholding support for Ciattarelli unless and until an arrangement is made? To outsiders, this is a head-scratcher. To insiders, many think Spadea and Gilmore very well may be perfect together.
Throw in Bill Stepien and Spadea campaign operative Tom Bonfonti — who was also Gilmore’s former Ocean County GOP executive director and worked on Gilmore-supported David Richter’s CD2 congressional campaign — and you have quite the team, or in Jersey-speak, crew.
The Ocean County GOP convention is three-quarters of a year away and, according to those who apparently know, Gilmore is already working the phones, having coffee, breakfast, and lunch with County Committee members who will vote at the next convention. How many of those folks — or spouses, children, friends, or relatives — have county jobs? Do they need to be reminded of the substantial sway Gilmore flaunts with the Commissioners who give out those jobs?
