Barbara McMorrow

Freeholder Director Barbara J. McMorrow

An emotional Monmouth County Freeholder Director Barbara J. McMorrow announced today at the Freeholder Board's regularly scheduled work meeting that she would not pursue reelection this year. 

“Many of you who know me well, have known that during the past few months I have been dealing with a number of health issues," McMorrow read with difficulty from a statement. "Unfortunately, they have not been resolved.  I have made a very difficult and painful decision.

“I will not seek re-election to the Board of Chosen Freeholders this year.  I will make my best effort to continue to serve the people of Monmouth County for the remainder of my term and will focus the time and energy that a re-election campaign requires on regaining my health.”

John Curley receives congratulations at last year's GOP convention from longtime ally state Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Red Bank).

Former Red Bank Councilman John Curley intends to screen before the County Republican Committee on March 28th in an effort to secure his party’s backing to again run for freeholder, this time against incumbent Freeholder Director Barbara McMorrow.

Curley, who now lives in Middletown, won the machine count in his race with Amy Mallet last year, and then lost the election after a tally of absentee ballots.

Now he’s back, excoriating the Democratically-controlled freeholder board for hiring Mallet’s running mate, Glenn Mason, to serve as the county’s emergency management coordinator at $75,000 per-year.

Monmouth County Freeholder Barbara McMorrow will have the support of Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan if she seeks re-election to a second term this year.  Some local Democratic leaders, angry that McMorrow has sided on some votes with the two Republican Freeholders and not with the other two Democrats, have hinted that McMorrow's place on the organization line might not be automatic.  Cryan told some of those Democrats yesterday that the state party will back the incumbent for re-election -- a move that might stop some of the intra-party rumblings.

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders: Lillian G. Burry and Amy A. Mallet (back row), and Robert Clifton, Barbara McMorrow, and John D'Amico Jr. (front row).

Monmouth County Democrats believed they had won control of the Board of Freeholders last November after a recount gave Democrat Amy Mallet a 346 vote victory over Republican John Curley, but a rivalry between the other two Democratic Freeholders appears to have returned control of county government to the Republicans.  Freeholder Director Barbara McMorrow does not get along with Freeholder John D'Amico; as a result, McMorrow has formed an alliance with Republicans Robert Clifton and Lillian Burry that has allowed the GOP to keep many of their people in place, even though they are in the minority.  This has frustrated some state party leaders, including Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan.

Democratic sources say that McMorrow, who was the first Democrat to win a Monmouth Freeholder race in twenty years, has not yet decided if she will seek re-election to a second term this year.  There was some speculation that she might switch to the GOP, but some of her allies say that won't happen.  Republican sources acknowledge that she has been asked. Democrats suggest that despite frustrations with her bi-partisanship, she remains their strongest candidate.

In addition to McMorrow, Clifton's seat is up this year.  D'Amico is up in 2010, and Burry and Mallet in 2011.

Majority control of the Board of Chosen Freeholders could flip in four of New Jersey’s 21 counties in November 2009: Atlantic, Burlington, Monmouth and Salem.  In Burlington, Republicans currently have a 3-2 majority after Democrats won two seats last month – their first wins in Freeholder races in two decades.  Two veteran Republican Freeholders are up for re-election in 2009: Bill Haines and Jim Wujcik.  Democrats need to beat one of the two incumbents to win control. 

In Monmouth County, Democrats won their first majority since 1986 when Amy Mallet’s victory in a recount gave them 3-2 control.  Democrat Barbara McMorrow is expected to seek re-election to a second term, and Republicans can regain control if they can unseat her next year.

In Salem County, Democrats have a 5-2 majority after Republicans picked up the open seat of retiring Democratic Freeholder Charles Sullivan, who passed away last Tuesday after a long illness.  Two Democratic incumbents, Beth Timberman and Jeffrey Hogan, are up in 2009.  Republicans would need to win both seats to take control. 

In Atlantic County, where Democrats picked up a Freeholder seat in the last election (and lost a five-term Sheriff), Republicans have a 6-3 majority.  Three Republicans are up next year: At-Large Freeholder Frank Giordano, who was elected as a Democrat in 2006 (he defeated incumbent Frank Finnerty) and then switched parties last year; District 2 Freeholder Thomas Russo, and District 5 Freeholder James Curcio.  Democrats would have to oust two of the three GOP incumbents to take control.

Monmouth County Democrats won control of the Board of Freeholders one seat at a time, with Barbara McMorrow winning in 2006, John D’Amico in 2007, and Amy Mallet in 2008.  That means Republicans can win back control next year if they can beat McMorrow.

GOP Freeholder candidate John Curley: Politicker file photoIt’s been labor by slow degrees.

Aided by Bush fatigue nationally and the Operation Bid Rig scandal locally, Democrats chipped steadily away at the Freeholder Board in Monmouth, foregoing potential Assembly gains elsewhere to focus on trying to build a majority in this longtime Republican stronghold.

Relying heavily on state party funds, they elected Barbara McMorrow two years ago and John D’Amico last year to get them to within one seat of swinging control of Monmouth in their favor.

Now with newly registered voters bolstering their numbers beyond the GOP’s - 99,282 Democrats to 86,992 Republicans - Democrats hope Amy Mallet and Glen Mason are poised to become their party’s next freeholders here. Freeholder Barbara McMorrow, left, stands with fellow Democrats, candidates Amy Mallet and Glen Mason.: Politicker file photo

In arguably the most consequential freeholder showdown of the year, those two must get past veteran Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and her running mate, Red Bank Councilman John Curley.

"As far as I can tell, it’s the premiere down ballot race in the state," State Party Chair Joseph Cryan said.

Although Democrats gleefully claim momentum going into this one, it will be no walk over for them.

Freeholder Barbara McMorrow, left, stands with fellow Democrats, candidates Amy Mallet and Glen Mason.

In Monmouth County, registered Democrats now lead Republicans by 10,000 voters, according to the County Board of Elections’ registration report, which positions the shore county once again for a likely battle come November.

And finally it’s a battle at the county level, where gleeful Democrats see an opportunity to gain control of this traditionally GOP stronghold.

But while the Democrats want to use those Board of Elections numbers to trampoline their pair of Freeholder candidates onto the board to at last seize the majority, GOP leadership feels confident that a John McCain presidential candidacy will play to their party’s root strength here.

"Obviously a vast majority of voters are overwhelmingly unaffiliated in a county that leans Republican," said state Sen. Sean Kean (R-Monmouth), a longtime McCain supporter.

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.

Keep an eye on Monmouth County Freeholder Anna Little. There is considerable speculation that Republicans could seek to replace her on the organization line when she runs for re-election this year. The GOP must defend two of their four seats in 2007 and are concerned that unsubstantiated rumors of potential ethical infractions could hurt their chances to maintain control of county government.

Little, an ex-Highlands Councilwoman, won a hotly contested special election to fill the seat of Amy Handlin, who had been elected to the State Assembly. She won an unexpired term last November, but is up for re-election this year. Democrats won the seat of longtime GOP Freeholder Theodore Narozanick, with former Freehold Councilwoman Barbara McMorrow defeating Manalapan Committeeman Andrew Lucas.