Third District Republican Assembly candidate Robert Villare reacted angrily today to his former primary opponent’s insinuation that he ‘has the same roots’ as running mate Lee Lucas, who has come under fire for using a racial slur to a neighbor.

“[Greenwich Township Mayor] George Shivery’s behavior gives Gloucester County Republicans a bad name.  His rambling and insinuation that I ‘have the same roots’ as Lee Lucas and that ‘where they both came from is hard to separate the two’ leads me to believe that George suffers from delusions,” said Villare.    

Shivery made the comment to PolitickerNJ.com yesterday at a rally for Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie and Republican National Chairman Michael Steele.   He was referring mostly to the fact that the two were recruited into the race by the faction of former Chairwoman Loran Oglesby, and he went on to criticize Villare for not coming out against Lucas.

Shivery and running mate Arthur Marchand, the former Cumberland County surrogate, lost the primary last month to Villare and Lucas.

Villare, a cardiothoracic surgeon, said that his patients and families will attest to him being color-blind.  

“I grew up in Paulsboro, the son of Italian-American immigrants, and went to Paulsboro High—Lucas did not. One of my best friends in high school placed 3rd in the NJ State Wrestling Championship. We reminisce how we pushed each other to our best potential and call each other ‘brother’ in the true sense of the word. He is black. His mother was one of my mother’s dear friends and she gave a eulogy and prayer at my dad’s funeral,” said Villare.  

“For the record, I chastise both Lucas and Shivery: Lucas for his ignorant words and Shivery for his equally ignorant comments and failure to defeat Lucas in the primary. They both should ‘drop out.’”

Villare even said that former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Joe Frazier plans to host an event for him.  PolitickerNJ.com will publish details as they become available.