TOMS RIVER, NJ – Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, once a kingmaker in New Jersey politics is reeling from a devastating blow where his endorsed candidate for New Jersey Governor, Bill Spadea was defeated in a landslide victory, not only statewide, but in his own county.
In Ocean County, where Gilmore’s client, and candidate, Bill Spadea had the full endorsement of the county organization, Jack Ciattarelli defeated him by nearly 40 points. The final result was Ciattarelli 66.49% to Spadea at 27.94%.
With Gilmore’s endorsement and with the him being on the payroll of Spadea’s Elect Common Sense PAC, the embattled chairman was clobbered.
Today, Gilmore blames “fake news”, singling out Shore News Network for reporting on his financial dealings with Spadea where hundreds of thousands of dollars in political donations were funneled from Spadea’s political organizations into Gilmore’s bank account and Spadea’s own LLC named BillSpadea.Com LLC.
Gilmore also lost in the Toms River council election where his two handpicked candidates lost their bid for the Republican endorsement in November.
“This guy is more worried about where the next paycheck is coming from than who wins the next Republican election, as long as candidates keep writing him checks like Bill Spadea did.” said Phil Stilton, editor of Shore News Network. “The Republican party would be better off without a man who is facing massive IRS tax liens and had to be pardoned by President Trump to keep him out of federal prison. There has to be somebody better for the job, and next year, Republicans will have the opportunity to get rid of this divisive, opportunistic, and desperate self-confessed mentally ill felon. Maybe the Republican party can get a chairman who doesn’t hold fundraisers for Democrats like Jim McGreevey and serve as legal counsel for Democrat lobbying firms run by the Norcross family syndicate.”
The reality is that every major media outlet in New Jersey predicted Ciattarelli’s win. Even Gilmore himself said his guy, Spadea had no chance of beating Democrats in November, saying, “Only John Bramnick can win in November.”
It’s almost as if Gilmore runs bad candidates in state elections so he can please his Democrat masters in Camden and Newark. There’s no way he’s that incompetent to lose every major statewide election over the past few years. But he lines peoples’ pockets, so the people in charge in the county aren’t going to speak out against him, and that’s how he likes it.
Gilmore supported Curtis Bashaw for U.S. Senate and Phil Rizzo for New Jersey Governor in 2021. Both candidates had Gilmore on the payroll and lost. Gilmore is now touting former Manchester Mayor, Commissioner Robert Arace as the next Republican governor of New Jersey.
Perhaps, but he seems more like Gilmore’s next victim for campaign payday.
Gilmore used to make millions of dollars per year through government contracts. After his conviction, he lost his license to practice law in New Jersey and thus his ability to generate millions in annual revenue.
New Jersey Assemblyman Gregory P. McGuckin has taken on the contracts once owned by Gilmore, including towns such as Toms River and Jackson.
“George’s time in New Jersey appears to be done,” Stilton added. “Maybe he can get a two-for one discount on a bus ticket to Tennessee.”
