Donohue: Ex-assemblyman respects the county process
RIO GRANDE — The Republican Committee of Cape May County has thrown its endorsement to gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, whom it said respects the county convention process.
The endorsement came during the CapeGOP meeting Feb. 5 at Cape Square Theaters in Rio Grande, Middle Township.
Ciattarelli, a businessman who served in the Assembly’s 16th District from 2011 to 2018, lost a close election to incumbent Democrat Phil Murphy in 2021, 51 percent to 48 percent. Murphy, finishing his second term, is not eligible to run for a third.
CapeGOP Chairman Mike Donohue said he hasn’t seen a Republican candidate for a statewide office give as much attention to southern New Jersey as Ciattarelli.
“He has been standing on the beach at protests against offshore wind for the past several years and has vowed to scrap (Gov.) Phil Murphy’s misguided “Energy Plan,” Donohue said.
“He has also spoken about a much more rational approach to affordable housing instead of forcing random numbers on every municipality,” he said. Overall, he added, he expects Ciattarelli would focus on economic issues that face everyone in the Garden State.
“Jack has said he will create an office much like the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to identify how to scale back spending in Trenton and prioritize economic relief for families and small businesses. I would love to see that happen,” Donohue said.
The chairman said hundreds of GOP committee members, scores of Republication elected officials and dozens of GOP activists and supporters from across the state crowded into the theater to vote on endorsements.
He said the vote was unanimous for Ciattarelli for governor, Erik Simonsen of Lower Township and Antwan McClellan of Ocean City for re-election to the state Assembly, Rita Rothberg for county clerk and Andrew Bulakowski and Bobby Barr for re-election as county commissioners.
“This is a tremendously strong ticket and any statewide candidate should have been willing to compete to be a part of it instead of running away from the challenge,” Donohue stated in a press release about the convention. “CapeGOP commends Jack Ciattarelli for respecting our people, our process and our traditions and we look forward to hitting the streets for Jack and our entire CapeGOP team in this primary election.”
“While there are four men running in the Republican gubernatorial Primary, only Jack Ciattarelli showed respect for the men and women of CapeGOP, the Republican Party and its traditions and participated in our convention,” he said.
“While other candidates might agree with doing away with the line on the ballot, they’re refusal to participate in county conventions is insulting to the thousands of Republican County Committee members, elected officials and supportive Republican activists who are the boots-on-the-ground for successful Republican candidates in Cape May County and beyond. What these candidates are saying by snubbing the county conventions is that not only do they want to do away with the line, they want to do away with the Republican Party itself,” he said.
“The dedicated and hard-working Republicans that form our county Republican organizations are the backbone of our party and the ones who do the nitty-gritty work to win elections. Insulting and ignoring the most activated and motivated members of our Republican Party in New Jersey is a huge mistake.”
Other GOP candidates for governor include Bill Spadea, a radio talk show host; Jon Bramnick, a state senator and former assemblyman; and Edward Durr, a truck driver who beat Senate President Stephen Sweeney in a major upset in 2021.
Declared Democratic candidates are Newark Mayor Ray Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill; New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Sweeney.
The primaries are June 10.
By DAVID NAHAN/Cape May Star and Wave