Adam Puharic

The election of 35-year-old Adam Puharic as the new Monmouth County Republican Chairman is the latest move by the GOP to rebuild a once-powerful county party organization that has been hammered by allegations of widespread corruption on the backs of a new generation of leaders. By the end of this year, the all-Republican five-member Freeholder Board will have had a complete makeover, with aging veterans like Harry Larrison -- a Freeholder for 36 years -- Thomas Powers and Edward Stominski replaced by a much younger group. For the seat of the 87-year-old Theodore Narozanick, an elected official for most of the last sixty years, Republicans have nominated Andrew Lucas, a 28-year-old Manalapan Township Committeeman. The Freeholder Board now includes 37-year-old Robert Clifton and 38-year-old Anna Little.

The same thing has happened with the Monmouth legislative delegation over the last four years. Sean Kean, now 43, won an Assembly seat in 2002 when 84-year-old Thomas Smith died in office. Amy Handlin, 50, beat 79-year-old Joseph Azzolina in the 2005 GOP primary. Jennifer Beck, 38, won a State Assembly seat in 2005, unseating a Democrat who defeated 73-year-old Michael Arnone two years earlier.

State Senator Joseph Palaia has already announced that he will not seek re-election in 2007, when he turns 80.

State Senator Joseph Kyrillos, elected to the State Assembly in 1987 at age 27, has emerged as a sort of elder statesmen among Monmouth Republicans at the relatively young age of 46. Brian Nelson, a 28-year-old lawyer from Middletown who served as Executive Director of the New Jersey Republican State Committee in 2004, has emerged as a key player in Monmouth County politics.

Monmouth County GOP Chairman candidate Adam Puharic announced today that Holmdel Mayor Mollie Giamanco has agreed to run with him for Vice Chairwoman in tonight's party leadership contest. Giamanco is the Republican State Committeewoman from Monmouth County.

In some contests for Republican Municipal Chairmanships in Monmouth County, Holmdel Committeeman Terence Wall, who is supporting County Chairman candidates James Giannell, lost his bid for GOP Municipal Chairman. Steven Grossman, also allied with Giannell, was unseated as the Hazlet Republican Municipal Chairman.

The 2006 Monmouth GOP county ticket is split on a choice of County Chairman: Freeholder Anna Little has endorsed Giannell, the Red Bank Republican Municipal Chairman, while Freeholder candidate Andrew Lucas and Surrogate candidate Rosemarie Peters are backing Adam Puharic, a former Undersheriff.