In what is shaping up to be one of the most critical conventions in years, Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore is looking to hold a vote on decertifying the official Republican organization in Toms River, “Republicans for Toms River,” at the party convention later this week.
Such a move, if successful, can have dramatic effects up and down the ballot this year, including in the state Legislature and in the county.
The Republicans for Toms River group replaced the Toms River Regular Republican Club as the township’s official municipal Republican club at the 2021 nominating convention after then-Ocean County Republican Chairman Frank Holman, who was narrowly elected to replace the recently-resigned George Gilmore, was looking to push aside the Gilmore-influenced group.
Municipal clubs hold a lot of power when it comes to nominating candidates at the party conventions, where the 700 plus member Republican decide who should be party’s candidates on the ballot.
Toms River has 63 election districts, the most of any town in Ocean County, which determines how many votes each town gets at county Republican conventions, and is therefore very powerful within the county.
Because the rules allow for a “weighted vote” system so there can be proportional representation, each municipal club president gets one vote for themselves and one vote for every five election districts in their municipality.
And because municipal clubs hold so much power, Gilmore is looking to replace the Toms River club with a group that will be more aligned with him.
Such a vote will likely be extremely close, making each club president extremely pivotal.
One such president is Rabbi Mordy Burnstein, who as President of the Jackson Republican Club, commands seven votes, a powerful bloc in a close vote.
When reached for comment by TLS, Rabbi Burnstein refused to disclose how he plans on voting.
Of the 12 state Legislators currently representing Ocean County in Trenton, as many as five may be replaced by the committee when they make their final recommendations for the ballot.
Some of the endangered incumbents include 9th district Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove (R-Long Beach) and 10th district Assemblyman Greg McGuckin (R-Toms River).
When informed that George Gilmore is seeking to decertify the ‘Republicans for Toms River’ organization at the party convention, Gilmore’s nemesis, Frank Holman, left a group of reporters scratching their heads on Sunday when he told them: “Gilmore is clearly certifiable, hence he is unfit to decertify anyone.”
Rotfl!!