Can spadea sway new jersey's growing gay republican base after saying they "are not welcome in the movement"
Bill Spadea - campaign publicity photo

Can Spadea Sway New Jersey’s Growing Gay Republican Base after Saying They “Are Not Welcome in the Movement”

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4 mins read
May 5, 2025

New Jersey is a state with a vibrant and diverse community and a state with a large LGBTQ community. You might think that the community is only Democrat and liberal, but you would be wrong.

There is a growing LGBTQ Republican community in New Jersey, but according to a report published in the Harvard Crimson, Bill Spadea does not want their vote.

Spadea, in that article claimed homosexuals are not welcome in his conservative version of New Jersey politics. While this stance might be music to the ears of some die-hard Spadea followers on the far right, it’s not a winning strategy for a general election in Blue New Jersey.

Here’s what Bill Spadea said back then:

“You don’t get any homosexuals in our movement,” Spadea was quoted. “You don’t get any people who are sympathetic to the homosexual cause. We really don’t want them, but they don’t want any part of us.”

We reached out to Tom Bonfonti, Spadea’s campaign manager for comment Sunday night, but Bonfonti refused to comment.

No comment.

That leaves Spadea’s electability as a general election candidate in jeopardy. New Jersey is home to approximately 350,000 members of the LGBTQ community. Some, not all, and possibly not many, could also be sick and tired of what is happening in New Jersey under Governor Phil Murphy.

The last election was decided by only 86,000 votes, so if a GOP candidate can sway some LGBTQ voters into their corner, it could be an election game-changer.

Unless that candidate is Spadea, who says they are not welcome in his movement.

New Jersey is also home to several notable gay Republicans including New Jersey assemblyman Don Guardian (Atlantic City). Guardian, a close ally of Spadea’s top consultant, Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, has already endorsed Spadea’s opponent, Jack Ciattarelli.

Last year, Spadea supported openly gay Republican candidate Curtis Bashaw, another Gilmore candidate for U.S. Senate, so maybe he has evolved.

Maybe not. You’ll see why in a minute.

Spadea and his campaign manager won’t talk about the 1992 comment from a fiery young, anti-gay Spadea, who was literally kicked out of his $40,000 a year position as the Chairman of the College Republicans by the RNC. Like today, Spadea was criticizing any Republicans who were not Bill Spadea, even President George Bush and GOP candidate Bob Dole. They were weak Republicans and RINOs. They weren’t far-right radicals like Spadea, who has never won an election for public office.

The RNC had enough of Spadea and he was fired.

Spadea has lost two major elections since seeking political office for the first time some twenty years ago. Instead, he found himself selling real estate and hosting an early morning AM/FM radio talk show.

His followers have spoken for him on X, saying the former radio host never made those comments, which were reported in multiple newspapers of the day.

That brings up another major issue.

Scott Pressler, an openly gay Republican who is turning out Republican voter registrations in droves all across America is now operating in New Jersey. Pressler, is one of the hardest working men in the Republican party fighting against Democrats by helping them become Republican voters.

We asked Pressler for comment on Spadea’s statement, but he did not respond to how he would feel flipping voters across New Jersey for a candidate who at one point in his life, barely recognized him as being a human being.

Sometimes, actions speak louder than words. It has been reported by Spadea’s inside team that Pressler will not be attending Spadea’s Seaside rally with Retired U.S. General Michael Flynn this week, leading Spadea diehards to go on the attack against Pressler, some even blaming him for the Republican loss in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election this year.

This comes as Pressler’s main focus in New Jersey is registering Republicans up and down the state’s many beautiful boardwalks.

Scott pressler, an openly gay republican is hitting the boardwalk at the jersey shore this year to register republican voters, criticized by group closely allied with spadea campaign.

This weekend, in an X Space hosted by Walk Away, host Brandon Straka sharply criticized Pressler.

In that X Space, Straka sharply criticized Pressler’s efforts. Straka is also very outspoken against the LBGTQ community.

For anybody who doesn’t understand why I am calling out Scott Presler- I get it. TRULY. He duped me, too. And he duped everybody.

He blatantly lied about registering 50,000 voters in PA. He lied about “delivering” the Amish to the polls. He raised millions of dollars based on these lies- but worst of all- he has made people believe that he has a magic formula for “flipping” states red.

This deception just contributed significantly to costing the Wisconsin Supreme Court election a few months ago and a Pennsylvania Senate seat that Republicans have held for 136 years. Scott told everybody he had flipped these states. It was never true.

But, if you come over to X I am hosting a Space starting right now and I am inviting Scott to come into the space and answer questions about the claims that he has made. I would hope that you guys would at least demand that he be willing to answer for the outlandish claims that he has made.

If I’m wrong, I’ll apologize right to his face. But I’m not wrong.

Brandon Straka – Walk Away

Oddly enough, Elizabeth Nader, the head of Spadea’s Common Sense Club PAC-not-PAC serves on Walk Away’s board of directors, according to Straka.

Jersey first republican photo – brandon straka and elizabeth nader, walk away

Nader has not yet commented on Straka’s harsh criticism of Pressler. She has also not denounced Straka’s anti-LGBTQ rantings on social media.

I’m pleased and honored to announce that Elizabeth Nader has joined the Board of Directors for #WalkAway Foundation.

Elizabeth is a leading conservative voice in New Jersey, serving as President of the Common Sense Club, Executive Director of Common Sense New Jersey, and Chair of Elect Common Sense PAC.

I’m joining forces with Elizabeth and a growing coalition of New Jersey grassroots leaders and organizations to flip NJ.

Brandon Straka – Walk Away

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

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