Exploring congressional bid, Runyan meets with Gilmore

Exploring congressional bid, Runyan meets with Gilmore

By Matt Friedman | November 18th, 2009 - 3:07pm
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Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore met with ex-Eagles tackle Jon Runyan yesterday, who told him that he is "strongly leaning" toward running.

But Gilmore, who said he had a "nice conversation" with Runyan, is not sold on him as the candidate to take on freshman U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill). 

"This is nowhere near being over at this point," said Gilmore.  "As a professional football player there's some name recognition. On the other hand, we don't know much about his background.  He's never held elected office, never run for office.  We don't know how he would handle a situation and a campaign," said Gilmore. 

Gilmore is upfront about who his favorite potential candidate is: state Sen. Chris Connors (R-Lacey Twp), who already represents roughly half the congressional district in the legislature.  Connors could not be reached for comment, but he told the Asbury Park Press yesterday that he is "not likely" to run. 

If Runyan decides to run, he will likely to have the full support of the Republicans from Burlington County, which makes up a roughly equal portion of the congressional district as Ocean County.  But even if Connors is out of the picture, Gilmore thinks a number of other candidates deserve consideration, including Toms River Councilman Maurice Hill and former Virginia "Ginny" Haines, a former assemblywoman and state lottery commissioner.   

"I don't want those comments to be taken as being opposed to Runyan, because I'm not," said Gilmore.  "He's a candidate that brings certain attributes and we have other candidates that bring other attributes." 

Gilmore does not believe that the process is already spiraling towards a primary like in 2008, when the eventual nominee, Christopher Myers, had to spend half a million dollars that Republicans think could have been better spent against Adler in the general election.

But what if the two county parties are unable to agree on a candidate?

"We would all sit down and have a discussion..." said Gilmore.  "Everybody realizes that it is not in anyone's best interest to have a primary fight."

Hill, a dentist who had a 35 career in the Navy and retired in 2005 as a rear admiral, screened for the position with Ocean County Republicans last year.  Hill said he has an interview scheduled with Burlington County GOP Chairman Bill Layton within the next two weeks.

"I'm going to pursue it. I think I fit well for the job," said Hill. "I'm certainly not an NFL lineman... He has name recognition certainly in the Philadelphia area. But I would like to think people would look a little deeper than just name recognition for all the candidates."

Haines said she's discussed running with Gilmore but is uncertain.  If she declines to run, she will support an Ocean County candidate. 

Ocean County, which gave Republican Gov.-elect Chris Christie a 70,000 vote margin of victory over Gov. Jon Corzine two weeks ago, has never had a congressman who calls it home.

"If Chris Connors decides 100% he is not going to run, then I would throw my support 100% behind Moe Hill, because I feel he is the most qualified candidate after Senator Connors," said Haines. "We are a big county. We have a lot of votes. We feel that our time is coming, that Ocean County should have representation in Congress."

George Gilmore said: "This

George Gilmore said: "This is nowhere near being over at this point," said Gilmore. "As a professional football player there's some name recognition. On the other hand, we don't know much about his background. He's never held elected office, never run for office. We don't know how he would handle a situation and a campaign," said Gilmore.

This coming from the guy who last year hand delivered the line to Anne Estabrook & after not learning his lesson from that fiasco, then gave it to Andy Unanue, who never even made it to Jersey for his 5 day campaign!!

District 3

Gilmore has nobody to run. Haines has more baggage than a luggage carousel at Newark Liberty International Airport. And, other than orchestrating the largest tax increases in Toms River history, Hill has no name recognition.

"This coming from the guy

"This coming from the guy who last year hand delivered the line to Anne Estabrook & after not learning his lesson from that fiasco, then gave it to Andy Unanue, who never even made it to Jersey for his 5 day campaign!!"

Jealous Mike? The fact is George Gilmore delivered more votes for Chris Christie in Ocean County than Steve Lonegan got in the entire state when he got thumped in the primary. How many votes did you deliver for Chris Christie? Besides Mike Doherty and Mike Carroll, how many of the candidates you endorsed won their respective races? I'll bet John McCormac and Joe Leo delivered more votes for Chris Christie in Middlesex County than you and Steve Lonegan got for Christie in the entire state.

BTW what percentage of the vote did your boy Lonegan get in Ocean County last June? And how did the rest of the "Lonegan line" make out?

Just remember people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

christiegonewild.blogspot.com

sen connors and congress

sen connors co authored with assemblyman van pelt over 50 "capitol comments" published in the manchester times and many retiremeent village papers.he shared an office with van pelt and may have had some influence in van pelt's $80000 municipal job. that closeness won't escape the us attorney in van pelt's trial.

Is Jon Runyan a Paulsen Stooge?

George Gilmore would be making several mistakes if he decides to join the Jon Runyan Congressional bandwagon. Ocean County was a huge vote getter for Governor-elect Chris Christie and by conceding to Burlington; George and Ocean County will lose prestige and respect. This will happen because it will show that Ocean County does not have real weight in the choices that really matter.

Jon Runyan has attended many of Glenn Paulsen’s political fundraisers and appeared not to be an intellectual or a political operative but rather a circus sideshow for political donors. Jon Runyan does not appear to be an independent thinker but rather a Paulsen stooge.

I could be wrong but after having previous brief conversations with the potential Congressional Candidate I have to second guess his mental capacity in this endeavor. In our country’s current economic conditions I believe Jon Runyan’s star lust will soon fade during this Congressional bid.

Hey Tadpole

"Jon Runyan dose not not appear to be an independent thinker but rather a Paulsen stooge."

Speaking of stooges, did you mean does or dose like you have in your remarks.

How about a little spelling lesson - How do you spell loser? B R O W N.

Once again, I hate to repeat myself, but maybe you should reconnect your lips with Adlers rearend.

Is Bill Brown the dumbest man in NJ politics?

Still stabbing at relevance after a laughable bid for the Assembly in which he lost by 14,000 votes, Bill Brown has resigned himself to commenting on political blogs. While it was a major embarrassment for the democrats to have to answer for his downright idiotic internet postings during his (haha) run for office, he seems to continue to do so unfazed, probably at the behest of his wormy and suddenly nervous svengali, John Adler.

Bill Brown has attended many of Adler's political fundraisers and appeared not to be intelligent (sorry I had to change that I can't stand lousy grammar) or a political operative but rather a circus sideshow to distract from the fact that Adler has never done a thing for veterans who are not Bill Brown. Bill Brown does not (not?) appear to be an independent thinker but rather an Adler stooge and confirmed LIAR.

I could be wrong but after having previous and mercifully brief conversations with the former Assembly candidate I wanted to blow my brains out. In our country's current economic conditions I believe Bill Brown's lust for John Adler will continue long after they are both politically dead and Bill has to help John move his shit back to NJ because no one else will want anything to do with him, and Brown probably needs the extra scratch. 

Wake-Up Call

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