David Norcross

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission has named Jeffrey Brindle, an ELEC staffer since 1985, as the new Executive Director.  He will replace Frederick Herrmann, who is retiring after 25 years in office.  He becomes the fifth ELEC Executive Director, following David Norcross, Lewis Thurston, Scott Weiner and Herrmann.

Brindle was active in Republican politics before taking a post at ELEC.  He worked as a political consultant in the 1970's, served as New Brunswick GOP Municipal Chairman, worked on the legislative staffs of State Sen. John Ewing and Assemblymen Walter Kavanaugh and Elliot Smith, and as Deputy Somerset County Clerk.  He was the Republican candidate for State Assembly in the 17th district in 1977, but lost the general election to Democrats David Schwartz and Joseph Patero.  He joined state government after Thomas Kean's election as Governor and was the Communications Director at the Department of Community Affairs from 1982 to 1985.

A Republican National Committee resolution rebranding Democrats as the "Democrat Socialist Party" has the support of at least one of New Jersey's RNC members.

The RNC will meet in a special session to consider the resolution next week, and David Norcross, who has been New Jersey's Republican National Committeeman since 1988, said that he will "more than likely" vote for it.

The death of Jack Kemp leaves six living former unsuccessful major party nominees for Vice President: Sargent Shriver (1972), Bob Dole (1976), Geraldine Ferraro (1984), Joe Lieberman (2000), John Edwards (2004) and Sarah Palin (2008).  There are also five living former Vice Presidents.  Of the six, three -- Dole, Lieberman and Edwards -- carried New Jersey.

In New Jersey, there are eleven living former unsuccessful major party candidates for United States Senator: Warren Wilentz (1966), David Norcross (1976), Jeff Bell (1978), Mary Mochary (1984), Peter Dawkins (1988), Christine Todd Whitman (1990), Chuck Haytaian (1994), Dick Zimmer (1996 and 2008), Bob Franks (2000), Douglas Forrester (2002) and Tom Kean, Jr. (2006).

New Jersey also has five living unsuccessful major party candidates for Governor: Raymond Bateman (1977), Peter Shapiro (1985), Jim Courter (1989), Bret Schundler (2001), and Douglas Forrester (2005).  Two other losing gubernatorial candidates, Jim Florio (1981 and 1993) and James E. McGreevey (1997) were subsequently elected Governor.

GOP State Chairman Tom Wilson is one of two New Jersey votes for Republican National Chairman candidate Saul Anuzis.

In the old days, New Jersey politicians used to cut deals with candidates for national party office, trading votes for commitments of campaign dollars.  But that kind of thing doesn’t happen here anymore.   A pair of reformers, GOP State Chairman Tom Wilson and Republican National Committeewoman Virginia Haines, have put their principles first and endorsed a candidate for Republican National Chairman without making national party funds for the gubernatorial and State Assembly races a condition of their support.   Wilson and Haines are supporting Saul Anuzis, the Michigan GOP Chairman in the January 30 election.  The two New Jerseyans were early Anuzis backers, and according to sources, offered their votes without the encumbrances of any backroom deals. 

Saul Anuzis has two of New Jersey's three votes in his bid to become the Republican National Chairman. He is the Michigan GOP State Chairman.

Republican National Commiteewoman Virginia Haines plans to vote for Saul Anuzis, The Michigan State Republican Chairman, to lead the Republican National Committee.

“I just think he’s someone who has always been on top of the issues, he’s always kept the committee people abreast – I’m not saying that the present chairman didn’t, don't get me wrong,” said Haines. “

Haines joins New Jersey Republican Chairman Tom Wilson in supporting Anuzis for the post – giving two of New Jersey’s three votes to him. Republican National Committeeman David Norcross, however, said that it’s “very premature” to decide who he wants to lead the party.

N.J. GOP State Chairman Tom Wilson is backing Saul Anuzis, the Michigan GOP State Chairman, for Republican National Chairman.

Michigan Republican State Chairman Saul Anuzis announced the suport of five state GOP chairs this week, including New Jersey's Tom Wilson, in his bid for Republican National Chairman.  The incumbent, Mike Duncan, has not yet said if he will seek re-election to a second term.  Other candidates include: former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, White House OMB Director Jim Nussle, a former Iowa Congressman; Florida GOP State Chairman Jim Greer; and Chip Saltsman, who managed Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign

Joining Wilson in his support of Anuzis are the Republican State Chairmen from Connecticut, Nebraska, Nevada and the Virgin Islands.

The announcement today that Dr. Frederick Herrmann will retire after 23 years as Executive Director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission prompts speculation on his successor.  While Herrmann had built a reputation as a non-partisan enforcer of campaign finance laws, his three predecessors came from political backgrounds – and while the new Executive Director will be named by the four ELEC Commissioners (two Democrats and two Republicans), it’s more likely that Gov. Jon Corzine will influence the process. 

With some senior Star-Ledger reporters being offered buyouts, one possible candidate for Herrmann’s $125,000-a-year job is Robert Schwaneberg, who spent years covering state government, including the Judiciary and ELEC.  Schwaneberg, the husband of New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Helen Hoens, is well-liked by Corzine and by Democratic and Republican leaders.  One front office insider suggested that several soon-to-be former Star-Ledger reporters will find their way into the administration.

David Norcross was re-elected to a sixth four-year term as the Republican National Committeeman from New Jersey: Getty Images Photo
The GOP State Committee today voted to re-elect David Norcross and Virginia Haines to the Republican National Committee. They were unopposed. Norcross, a former GOP State Chairman and the 1976 U.S. Senate candidate, has served as a National Committeeman since 1988. Haines, who served as an Assemblywoman and state Lottery Director, won the National Committeewoman seat in 2004, defeating longtime incumbent Judith Stanley.

Governor Jon Corzine will fill the Republican seat on the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission “within weeks or even days,” according to his spokesman, Jim Gardner. The seat has been vacant since Corzine named Judge Theodore Davis to serve as the Chief Operating Officer of Camden in December 2006.

Earlier this week, ELEC postponed a decision on the use of campaign funds to pay attorney fees in a criminal corruption case by a 2-1 vote, with the lone Republican Commissioner voting against the postponement. Republican National Committeeman David Norcross sharply criticized Corzine for leaving the GOP seat vacant for more than a year, calling it “inexcusable.” Norcross, a former ELEC Executive Director, said the law requires the commission to be bi-partisan.

The first ELEC Executive Director says Gov. Jon Corzine's failure to appoint a GOP Commissioner is "inexcusable"
Republican National Committeeman David Norcross knows quite a bit about the Election Law Enforcement Commission. He was on staff of Gov. William T. Cahill when the commission was created, and became its first Executive Director.

And he’s not happy that the commission’s board, meant to be bi-partisan, is currently made up of two Democrats and one Republican. The seat has been vacant since Gov. Jon Corzine named Theodore Davis as Camden’s chief operating officer in December 2006.

“It’s inexcusable,” said Norcross about the fact that the commission has gone over a year without filling its Republican vacancy. “I understand exigencies of politics. Sometimes you can’t find an appointee, sometimes you can’t get the agreement you need, but this is preposterous.”