Passaic County Regular Republican Chairman John Traier says he is optimistic about the Republican Party’s chances of recapturing seats in county government next year and he wants to start 2013 with an early selection of candidates for freeholder and sheriff. 

“With Governor Chris Christie heading our ticket next year, things look promising for Republicans in local and county contests,” said Traier.  “I am expecting that the PCRRO candidates will do well next November, but we can’t take anything  for granted. We must work hard and we must start early.”

Traier said the county GOP organization will begin screening candidates for countywide offices on January 26 and is asking anyone interested in becoming a candidate to submit a resume and cover letter on why they want to run for the public office they are seeking. Resumes and letters must be in by January 23. They can either be emailed to John.traier@pcrro.org or mailed to PO Box 4375, Wayne, NJ,  07474-4375.

Traier said  he wants to have his candidates in place early so he has time to do  get them up to speed on county issues  and on their opponents.

“ I do not want to squander the early months of 2013 doing nothing,” said Traier.  “We will be planning fundraisers and doing issue and opposition research for our county races. And I encourage all municipal chairman and local candidates to do likewise." 

Traier says he is optimistic about next year’s political races, not just because of Gov. Christie’s presence on the ticket, but because of what he says will be  more controversy from the Obama White House.

“I think middle class people and small business owners are going to find out shortly that the president’s programs are not friendly to their wallets and do not recognize how hard people work to raise a family or run a business” said Traier, a certified public accountant.

“Raising taxes in lackluster economic times is not going to create jobs or economic opportunity. On top of that, the economic toll of Obamacare will begin to materialize in 2013. Taken together, the policies coming out of Washington will, I believe, create a favorable environment for Republicans,” added the GOP chairman.

Washington politics and Gov. Christie’s popularity, said Traier, will make it easier for the PCRRO  to build the county party.

“One of my top priorities for 2013 is going to be to recruit new people to the organization and register more Republican voters, especially in urban areas. We must demonstrate to people that ours is the party with rational, sustainable economic and social policies,” said Traier.

“For us to have success on any level of government, we need to grow the party, which has been stagnant for too long. We need to invite young people into the Republican Party and show them that their future lies with our economic philosophy,” added the chairman.