2014 CANDIDATES PART II: FREEHOLDERS

This year's election cycle has Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich both seeking reelection. Normally having two incumbents running should be a case closed matter, but this year we have a challenger in the race by the name of Howell Councilman and former Mayor Bob Walsh.
Walsh is challenging both incumbents, who have been running as a team as well as sending out their own individual flyers. The former Howell mayor has asserted that the Monmouth County Republican Party's brand is "tarnished"; when this was reported last month in More Monmouth Musings it generated somewhat of a "Howellanche" on Mr. Gallagher's blog.
Walsh and other critics of Burry and Rich say that the past scandal involving Brookdale Community College, and the recent indictment of former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas for a fraudulent land deal have tainted the freeholders. It has been pointed out that the freeholders were not involved with either scandal, and in fact could be considered, as the governing body of the county, to have been victimized as well. Bob Walsh, for his part, has been cautioned to tone it down; should he win Saturday's convention vote, he would have to run with either Burry or Rich, whoever got the other nomination.Having two freeholder candidates not on the same page with each other weakens the ticket and leaves an opening for the Democrats (remember the Democrats?) to get back on the Board of Chosen Freeholders, putting bosses in Elizabeth (Joe Cryan) and Camden (George Norcross) in control.
Burry has been on the Board since 2006 and previously served as Director in 2008 and 2010. Prior to being a freeholder she served on the Colts Neck Township Committee and as Mayor of Colts Neck, and was earlier a member of the Matawan Borough Council.
Rich is completing his first term as a freeholder. He had previously served on the Spring Lake Borough Council and earlier on the Lake Como Borough Council.
Walsh is no stranger to being a challenger. Due to a party split in Howell, he challenged the local organization by running and winning as an independent for an unexpired township council seat. After reelection, again as an independent, he was elected Mayor as an independent and served as mayor from 2009 through 2012 when he didn't seek reelection. It was during this time that Howell politics realigned, including a rapprochement between Walsh and his predecessor and erstwhile adversary, Joe DiBella.

DEMOCRATIC EVIL WIZARD

Monmouth County's Democratic Party has a number of high-profile power-brokers. Chairman Victor Scudiery and Middletown Party Boss Joseph "King" Caliendo come to mind. But did you know that they have an evil wizard, too? OK, not some guy with a gown and a wand, the wizard monicker came from a Manalapan related comment on More Monmouth Musings by one called Trevanian. I'm talking about a very mysterious, behind-the-scenes Democratic political boss.
Norman Kauff.
Kauff has never held an elected office that I'm aware of. A lawyer, he has held several no-bid professional contracts in a number of towns in Western Monmouth and the Bayshore where he wields a lot of influence. He has been of controversy in several of these towns. Read The Middle Road from back in '03, when Kauff had an apparent no-show appointment in Hazlet, who's Democratic mayor seemed to be clueless as to Kauff's actual function and duties.
A post last year at Da Truth Squad appears to bear out the no-show thing, this time in Manalapan. And Aberdeener, from Kauff's home base of operation, has an entire category dedicated to Norman Kauff.

He receives a public pension, which appears to be the result of a process called multiple job holding, or double dipping.
For some reason, Kauff has evaded coverage in the local media. No Courier exposé here. No write-ups in the Asbury Park Press, The Transcript or the Independent. As low-key as he is, he has been a power, not only in Hazlet, Manalapan or Aberdeen, but in Marlboro, Matawan and Keyport too. On the County level, he is a trusted lieutenant of Boss Scudiery.

LUCAS & LITTLE WIN!

No, sports fans, you're not reading a draft from last year's election. Mayor Andrew Lucas of Manalapan was reelected to the Township Committee along with his running mate Susan Cohen, overcoming both an independent candidate and a local party split to defeat two Democratic opponents. And in Highlands, Freeholder Anna Little handily won election as that borough's next mayor, defeating a Democrat, an independent and a write-in candidate backed by Middletown Republican Judith Stanley-Coleman. Earth to Judy: While Highlands may be somewhat surrounded by Middletown (Sandy Hook is part of Middletown.), it is not a part of Middletown, having seceded many decades ago. Butt out.
Election night was, all in all, not too shabby for Monmouth County Republicans.

Stick a fork in him. He's "Well Done."

That's right. Assemblyman Sean Kean coasted to victory over former assemblyman, former freeholder and all-around supporter of curmudgeonly County Counsel Malcolm Carton, John "Well Done" Villapiano; Dave Rible and Mary Pat Angelini defeated the other two Democratic johns in the 11th District.

Back to the Christmas tree farm, Ellen!

Jen BECK! romped to victory over incumbent Democratic Senator Ellen Kärcher. Kärcher was rocked by ethical questions about her Camden County connections and her property's farmland assessment. Desperate, she went viciously negative against BECK! and that was all she wrote. Democratic assemblyman Mike Panter will pant no more in Trenton; he and his running mate Amy Mallet having been bested by Declan O'Scanlon and the underestimated Caroline Casagrande. The 12th District thus returns after a brief hiatus to the G. O. P. column.

13th an easy GOP win.

In the 13th District, Sen. Joe Kyrillos soundly defeated Democrat Lenny "ELEC" Inzerillo for another term representing that district. Inzerillo's campaign was known for the pink placards pasted to his posters promoting pandering points. (Like that? I wish I thought of it before the election!) Assembly members Amy Handlin and Sam Thompson crushed Democrats Pat Walsh and Robert Brown, keeping the 13th solidly Republican.

Had Enough?

The voters in the 30th District clearly spoke that they had had enough of the Trenton Democrats and their games and defeated the Democratic ticket of Steven Morlino for senate and Jeffrey Williamson and Sharon Atkinson for assembly. Sen. Bob Singer and Assemblymen Ron Dancer and Joe Malone soundly defeated the Democrats. The 30th, like all districts representing Monmouth County in Trenton, will be solidly Republican.

County to remain under GOP control; Silent Steve silenced

In the county races, we won at least three out of four, with Jeff Cantor's race up in the air. Kim Guadagno was elected Sheriff over Democrat Jack Hill. She will become the first woman to hold the Sheriff's office in Monmouth County. In 2008, all Monmouth County Constitutional officers will be women.
County Clerk Claire French roared to victory over Amod Choudhary of Colts Neck for another five year term. Claire has run the Clerk's office in a modern and professional manner, and will continue to do so.
On the freeholder level, things were closer. Freeholder Rob Clifton was high vote getter. For the second seat, John "Flippy" D'Amico (A supporter of curmudgeonly County Counsel Malcolm Carton from way back.) right now holds a razor-thin edge over Jeff Cantor. This should be decided once provisional ballots are counted; Jeff's a good guy and hopefully he can pull it off. "Silent Steve" Schueler was low man and will definitely not be a freeholder. Shows what silence can do.
As we get more information, it will be posted. We'll probably also talk about the towns, too.

MANALISTAN

or...

The New Howell

In Western Monmouth County, west of Freehold, but not as far as Millstone, is the Township of Manalapan. While since the 60's much of its green farmland has been replaced by suburbia, the southern and western portions of the township still have many a pastoral acre.

Politically, Manalapan has for many years been relatively quiet as it slowly cycled between Democratic and Republican control. During the 70's, it became a Democratic powerhouse with the construction of Hovnanian's Covered Bridge 55 & over development and its largely New York derived residents. The GOP regained control in the 80's. Walter Lieberman was the local GOP chair at the time. It was during this time that Jack McKenna and Jim Gray served on the Township Committee. Jim Gray is now Monmouth County's genial Clerk of the Board.

After a while, control went back to the Democrats. The Dems would have their intra-party battles, but have retained their majority.

The GOP has, however, elected Andrew Lucas and Joseph Locricchio.

Running mates in 2004, party divisions in the past year have led to a falling out between the two, with Lucas allied with Republican Municipal Chair Steve McEnery, and Locricchio "on the outs". This party split materialized for all to see at the January 7 reorganization meeting where Lucas was selected as Mayor in a 3 - 1 vote, with two Democrats voting yes and Locricchio voting no. Some say it first reared its ugly head with a 2006 Lincoln Day ad featuring the slogan, "No Gray Skies over Manalapan", which some considered a direct slight against former Mayor Gray.

Locricchio is now running for State Senate in the 12th District, contesting Jennifer Beck in the June primary.

Lately, much has been appearing on various sources, like the NJ.com Manalapan Forum, the blog Da Truth Squad and elsewhere demonstrating that politics in Manalapan is becoming a contact sport, making it "The New Howell."