Gloucester County Republicans have not won a Freeholder race since 1995, but a strong showing in the last election gives the GOP some hope in the battle to reverse their losing streak.  This year, two incumbent Democratic Freeholders are retiring, creating a pair of open seats and a possible GOP opportunity.

In 2009, Republican Christopher Christie carried Gloucester 48%-44% (2,749 votes) over Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine.  Republican Ron Brittin came within 2,609 votes of ousting Democratic Freeholder Joe Chila.  And the election of Assemblyman Domenick DiCicco (R-Franklin) in the fourth district gives the county GOP their first legislator in six years.

Democrats have an edge in voter registration, but 42% of the voters are not affiliated with either party.  Those are similar numbers to Atlantic (45%) and Burlington (41%) counties, where Republicans control the Freeholder boards.   The last Republicans to win a Freeholder races in Gloucester County were Mary Virginia Weber in 1995, and Daniel Mangini and Stephen Atkinson in 1994.

The last Republican victories in Gloucester were in 1997, when Chuck Gill was re-elected Sheriff and James Hogan was elected County Clerk.  Gill did not seek re-election in 2000, and Hogan switched parties before running for re-election in 2002.

Gloucester County Republicans are facing a contested race for the leadership of a party that has not won a countywide election in twelve years, just as gubernatorial and legislative races present a possible opportunity for victory.  If Republicans are to win the race for Governor, they'll need to compete in places like Gloucester, which have voted consistently for Democratic statewide candidates in recent years.  But while Democrats win Gloucester, their margins of victory may not be insurmountable.

Democrats have an edge in voter registration, but 42% of the voters are not affiliated with either party.  Those are similar numbers to Atlantic (45%) and Burlington (41%) counties, where Republicans control the Freeholder boards.   The last Republicans to win a Freeholder races in Gloucester County were Mary Virginia Weber in 1995, and Daniel Mangini and Stephen Atkinson in 1994.

The last Republican victories in Gloucester were in 1997, when Chuck Gill was re-elected Sheriff and James Hogan was elected County Clerk.  Gill did not seek re-election in 2000, and Hogan switched parties before running for re-election in 2002.

2008 was a blowout for Democrats - Barack Obama and Frank Lautenberg carried Gloucester by 17,000 votes, about 55%, and Stephen Sweeney won re-election to his Freeholder seat by 21,000 votes.  Warren Wallace, a Freeholder with a taint of ethical questions, still won re-election by 13,000 votes.  But statewide races have been a bit closer in recent years.  In 2006, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez won Gloucester by just 6,200 votes over Thomas Kean, Jr., even as Democratic Freeholder candidates were winning by 16,000.  In the2005 race for Governor, Jon Corzine beat Doug Forrester there by 8,000 votes while Democrats were winning the Freeholder race by 14,000 votes.

By most measures, Gloucester County should be a politically competitive place.

Its towns are mostly rural and suburban, it has a large blue collar population, and it only went for John Kerry over George W. Bush by about 6,000 votes in the last presidential election.

But over the last decade, Democrats – aided in part by George Norcross’ powerful political machine in neighboring Camden County, the political prowess of native son Stephen Sweeney and plenty of Republicans willing to switch parties – have had little trouble holding on to full control of the county’s government and taking over the majority of most towns’ elected offices.

Maybe they say it every year, but Republicans feel that this time they may be able to pry at least one county-wide seat out of the Democrats’ grasp: the one that belongs to Freeholder Warren Wallace, whose re-election comes about just as his one-time political ally – former State Sen. Wayne Bryant – faces a corruption trial over a job he held at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), where Wallace worked as associate dean for academic and student affairs for School of Osteopathic Medicine before being dismissed over accusations of unethical behavior. In 2006, he was accused of shredding documents while the school was being investigated.

In May, Wallace filed a lawsuit against the school, charging racial discrimination over his firing.  But he may be called to testify at Bryant’s trial as a “person of interest” – further associating him with the former state Senator.

“We absolutely have a real shot at it,” said political consultant Steve Kush, who this year is running the Republican freeholder candidates’ communications shop.  “The proof is in the pudding.”

Republicans Phyllis Scapellato, Larry Wallace and Dan Roberts are running against Democratic incumbents Wallace, Sweeney (the state Senate Majority Leader who reconsidered his decision not to run for freeholder again) and Frank DiMarco.  Roberts replaced Frank Stellaccio, who dropped out in June.

The pudding, according to Kush: a letter Democratic counsel Timothy Chell sent to Gloucester County Republicans, warning candidates not to use several claims about Wallace recently outlined in a Philadelphia Inquirer article.  He thinks its proof that the Democrats are running scared.

“Any use of the factual inaccuracies published in the Inquirer will be considered actionable by the Gloucester County Democratic Party and Dr. Warren S. Wallace personally,” wrote Chell.

It's almost a month after the primary, but former Republican Senate primary candidate Murray Sabrin's unorthodox campaign continues to produce reverberations.

James Hogan, who ran for the Republican congressional nomination on Sabrin's slate in the 6th District, wrote a blog entry
excoriating the campaign for its unusual strategy and press release blitzes, which he said ultimate hurt both Sabrin and his down-ballot candidates.

Hogan placed third in the primary with a little over 1,000 votes, behind Robert McLeod, the winner, and Peter Cerrato.

Still, Hogan professes no bitter feelings towards Sabrin - just a slight feeling of bamboozlement.

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The short list to replace Stephen Salvatore as Gloucester County Surrogate is indeed short: the job will go to whomever State Senator/Freeholder Directore Stephen Sweeney picks. Sweeney, who is in full control in Gloucester, could choose Freeholder Helene Reed. One insider says not to rule out County Clerk James Hogan, a former Sheriff who might decide to set a record by winning election to a third office on constitution row.

Republicans have lost majority control of the Franklin Township Committee. Deputy Mayor Peter Scapellato announced yesterday that he was switching parties, giving Democrats a 3-2 majority in the Gloucester County municipality of 15,466 people through 2007. It also means that longtime Mayor David Ferrucci will be ousted as Mayor when the local government reorganizes in January. Scapellato joins Gloucester County Clerk James Hogan, South Harrison Mayor James McCall, Washington Township Councilwoman Michelle Martin and Westville Councilman Michael Galbraith as GOP officeholders who have switched parties in recent years.

Franklin Township is considered politically competitive -- George Bush carried it by 60 votes in 2004 and Jon Corzine by 266 votes in 2005 -- and is in the fourth legislative district, where Republicans think they have a chance to compete for a Senate seat and two Assembly seats.

Andrew Savicky, a National Guard Lt. Colonel and the Director of Mental Health for the state Department of Corrections, won the endorsement of the Gloucester County Republicans to run for Sheriff. He will face Carmel Morina, the Greenwich Township Chief of Police. Morina was picked the county Democratic organization after the declined to back two-term Sheriff Gilbert Miller for re-election. Republicans have not won a countywide race in Gloucester since 1997, when Chuck Gill was elected Sheriff and James Hogan won a race for County Clerk. Hogan switched parties in 2002 and was re-elected as a Democrat.