TOMS RIVER, NJ – Last week, the Ocean County GOP met behind closed doors, with armed police officers making sure outsiders and the media did not enter. In that meeting, the exclusive “County Council” a group of elected and unelected establishment insiders voted for candidates to get the coveted party line in June’s election.
Initially, it was reported that the elder stateswoman, Virginia Haines defeated Jack Kelly based on leaked results on the day of the convention, but the official election totals on record with the Ocean County Clerk’s Office tell a different story.
According to the official vote count, Jack Kelly received the most votes, 159. Virginia Haines had 142 and her challenger, Ashley Palmieri received 37 votes.
While Ocean County GOP Chairman Holman and his associates work overtime to get their paid provocateur bloggers to paint a picture that the county is united behind him, the official vote count tells a different story. If the party inside, elitists have lost confidence in Haines, then what will the average ordinary Republican primary voter do in the election booth in June?
It’s a scene right out of Vladimir Putin’s Russia… state-sponsored misinformation and assaults on those who speak the truth. It will be interesting to see how Holman’s brownshirts threaten, shake down and quell opposition between now and June.
It’s certain that the county insiders are starting to tire of Haines. The party split has spilled into the public space for the first time in decades. Once a tight ship where differences were settled behind the scenes in the offices of the chairmen, the disagreements are now public displays of open warfare, fueled by Haines’ determination to purge the party of people who are not loyal to herself and the new chairman.
Today, the Asbury Park Press confirmed what Shore News reported last week. Carl Block, a longtime elected County Clerk, and business administrator is being forced out of his job by Haines, Bobbi Jo Crea, and Gary Quinn. Commissioner Jack Kelly told the newspaper Block’s forced exodus is nothing more than a Ginny Haines political powerplay.
She now gets to promote long-time ally Michael Fiure to the top job in the county and Sheriff Michael Mastronardy gets to push his guy into the assistant administrator position. It’s all going according to plan, except others have different plans.
Many rank and file Republicans are tired of the division in the county and are ready to back a full slate against Mastronardy, Kelly and Haines to remove the “Good Old Boys” from power once and for all.
Now, the stage is being set for what could be the most ruthless Republican election since the days of Joseph Haelig and the TROC. One this is certain, a primary election in Ocean County will be nothing short of World War I style trench warfare that could divide the party more than it is.
Mastronardy has other plans. He wants to be the next chairman and become the peace officer of the GOP. There’s just one problem. Many in the county committee have already lost faith in Mastronardy’s ability and desire to bring peace as he sits quietly and lets Haines, Holman and Greg McGuckin unleash open warfare against dissenters.
Last week, Mastronardy presented plausible deniability when asked about the closed-door county convention, even towing the party lie that there was a ‘credible threat’, which there was none.
Mastronardy might be the nice cop everyone loves to chat with, but he’s already proving to be a cut and past of Frank Holman. A chairman can’t play Switzerland and pretend to see nothing. They have to roll up their sleeves and get things done and solve problems.
It’s unclear at this point if Mastronardy is that guy.
