Adam Puharic

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- While many pundits say President Bush’s absence from the Republican National Convention is a political blessing, former Monmouth County Republican Chairman Adam Puharic remains hopeful that he’ll still make an appearance.

“I was born into leadership under George W. Bush.  His presidency invigorated me,” said Puharic, a 37-year-old insurance broker who describes himself as the “youngest senior stateman in Monmouth County. 

“I hope he stops by,” he said.

Monmouth County Republicans don’t anticipate any dustups tonight as two-year chairman Adam Puharic hands over the gavel to former Sheriff Joe Oxley.

Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth), dean of the Monmouth Republicans, has known Oxley since the two were ten and eleven years old. He calls the incoming chairman a “straight arrow,” who is well-qualified to help withstand what the Democrats promise will be a tough fight for two freeholder seats.

Control of the board is at stake this year.

Repblican Party operative Brian Nelson of Shrewsbury will not pursue the Monmouth County GOP chairmanship to succeed departing Chairman Adam Puharic, he told PolitickerNJ.com today.

"Some people asked me if I was interested," sad Nelson.  "But my daughter is two years old, and I have professional responsibilities. If I were at my own law firm in Monmouth County I might have the flexibility the job requires. I don't have that right now."

At this point, former Sheriff Joe Oxley looks like the favorite, according to Republican Party sources. Chariman Puharic earlier this week told the Asbury Park Press that he would not pursue another term as chair.

The Monmouth County Republican Screening Committee voted unanimously tonight to recommend that the county committee vote for Senate candidate Andy Unanue over rivals Joe Pennacchio and Murray Sabrin at its convention tomorrow night.

The screening committee interviewed Unanue over the phone from his vacation spot in Vail, Colo.

Holmdel Mayor Serena DiMasoMonmouth County Republicans face an important decision at their convention on Wednesday night. In danger of losing control of the Board of Chosen Freeholders, GOP committee people have to decide whether Holmdel Mayor Serena DiMaso or Red Bank Councilman John Curley is the candidate who can win in November.

The Republicans have watched their rivals chip into their turf over the last two election cycles. Democrats edged one seat closer to seizing a majority in 2007 with John D'Amico's win.

There are two open seats this year, but Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, also a Republican, has the advantage of incumbency, meaning either DiMaso or Curley also needs to win to keep the GOP majority.

As Goya Foods heir Andy Unanue starts his first ever race for elected office, he’ll have an experienced team waiting for him.

Once he gets back from Colorado.

Unanue is on a vacation with his extended family in Vail, and he won’t be returning to New Jersey in time to attend the Republican conventions scheduled for this week in Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Middlesex and Salem Counties. He planned the trip a year ago, he said, and even a Senate candidacy isn’t enough to make him shirk the familial responsibility.

Instead, he’ll send surrogates to the conventions, and will address screening committees in conference calls. He plans to return to his homes in New Jersey and New York City early next month.

“I’m not a politician. I don’t really worry about how hard it’s going to be,” Unanue said when asked if not being able to attend the conventions will hurt his chances. “I’m worried about winning the primary and the election. I’m in the process of aligning myself with what I would consider the best and most talented staff.”

Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Victor ScudieryATLANTIC HIGHLANDS - Just one day after the 2007 general election, Monmouth County GOP Chairman Adam Puharic posted the results on his party’s website and noted gleefully that the Republicans had sumo tossed the Democrats out of the circle in every non-municipal contest - with the exception of one: a freeholder match between Democrat John D'Amico and Republican Jeffrey Cantor.

At that point, D'Amico-Cantor was undecided, and Puharic mused about the possibility of humiliating the Democrats with a shutout. But post provisional and absentee ballots, D'Amico squeaked out a victory and became the second Democrat in as many years to win a seat on the Monmouth County Freeholder Board, in a traditionally Republican stronghold.

Republican state Sen. Christopher "Kip" Bateman knows that, if he really does want to enter the U.S. Senate race, he'll have to make a decision very soon.

"It all happened very quickly. My head's spinning," said Bateman, whose father, Raymond, was state Senate President in the early 1970s and was the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 1977. "It's a little late in the game and Joe (Pennacchio) has gotten county endorsements already. I'm kind of testing the waters, quickly."

Bateman has toyed with the idea of running for a Senate seat before, and yesterday afternoon began to receive phone calls from people encouraging him to make a run for it to fill in for Anne Evans Estabrook, who abruptly withdrew from the race yesterday.

Monmouth County GOP Chairman Adam Puharic wants Rudy Giuliani to run against Frank Lautenberg
In the aftermath of news that Anne Evans Estabrook would not run for the U.S. Senate, Monmouth county GOP Chairman Adam Puharic today said he was calling for an emergency meeting of Republican county chairmen to discuss the party’s options in nominating a candidate.

As for his own personal choice for a GOP senate candidate now that Estabrooks is out, Puharic said he would be happy joining a coalition of New Jersey Republicans calling on former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to enter the race, or "other talented Republicans."

But in the meantime, "Everybody needs to freeze until we have a chance to talk," said Puharic. "If a majority of the county chairs believe we should rally around state Sen. Joe Pennacchio, fine, but if a majority are not happy with the choices they have now, I beseech everyone not to rush to judgement."

Republicans not endorsing former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani fretted yesterday that the GOP’s balloting procedure would unfairly impact their own presidential candidates, and fought an email war with the state party chairmen to try to get him to intervene.

What made the matter worse for some proud party members was having to watch the Democratic State Committee relinquish its prior commitment to giving establishment candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton the line A position virtually statewide.

They argued that while Republicans were essentially handing the ballot pole position to Giuliani, the Clinton-centric Democratic leadership was mercifully loosening its stranglehold on the process to allow rival campaigns to get an equal shot at the line.

"Why is it that the New Jersey GOP isn't following the Democratic State Committee’s lead in holding an open draw for presidential candidates?" Republican counsel Brian Nelson asked State Committee Chairman Tom Wilson. "Why are the Republicans still following the process the Democrats are abandoning?"