Jon Bramnick

Assembly Minority Whip Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), right, at a GOP event earlier this year with Chris Christie.

GOP sources confirm that GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie is assessing Assembly Minority Whip Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) as a potential running mate.

Contacted about the information coming from three sources, Bramnick said, "no comment."

A moderate Republican and staunch longtime ally of Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr., (R-Westfield), who became whip two years ago, built some statewide campaign cred in the 2007 cycle and generated buzz as a possible 2008 candidate for U.S. Congress in the 7th Congressional District before electing not to run, Bramnick last year also founded the progressive policy committee as a way to focus Assembly Republicans on environmental, women's and other issues.

Bramnick backed Christie for governor before the U.S. Attorney's formal announcement last year, and in late January threw a $3,400-a-head fundraiser for the budding gubernatorial candidate at his Westfield home.

Former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan this morning in Westfield.

WESTFIELD – The commuters sprint across the rain-spattered parking lot toward the east bound platform and many of them skirt past Bruce Meringolo’s entreaty to stop and meet GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Longman, but a few slow down and engage the man under the red and white umbrella.

The movement conservative and grassroots organizer who with just one weekend left is fighting frontrunner Chris Christie for his party’s nomination bristles when he hears an accounting of Christie’s latest radio ad. Broadcasting steadily on Millennium radio this morning, the spot amplifies the establishment Republican’s complaint about Lonegan’s flat tax plan, accompanied by the particular condemnation of how the plan would impact rookie cops and firefighters and new teachers. 

“And what about two years from now, when that cop is moving up the pay scale and making $60,000?” Lonegan wants to know. “Under my plan, he’ll see a savings. As they move up the income bracket, they will receive tax cuts. For a single person at $43,000, he or she will start to see a savings.”

There are some Lonegan partisans there in the spitting rain. One woman, a “Dump Corzine” button affixed to her yellow raincoat, is infuriated over the Christie campaign’s repeated use of the70% figure to characterize what it calls that bulk of taxpayers who would get hammered with tax hikes under Lonegan’s plan.

Long Hill Mayor George Vitureira

Long Hill Mayor George Vitureira confirmed today that he suspended his campaign for the Assembly in the 21st District for medical and personal reasons.

Vitureira said he is already recovering and his name remains on the ballot, so he does not plan to withdraw from the Republican Primary. But at the same time, he doesn’t plan to actively campaign, have volunteers campaign for him, or fundraise for the remaining week and a half before Election Day.

“My health comes first,” said Vitureira, who described his illness as temporary but did not wish to go into details.

That leaves running mates Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) and Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz competing with Long Hill School Board member Bruce Meringolo for two seats in the 21st District contest.

Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz (R-Summit)

Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz (R-Summit) assumed the oath of office in the Statehouse today, taking the place of her husband, Assemblyman Eric Munoz, who died of a heart condition last month. 

“I am eager to continue the strong tradition of honest and dedicated public service that is the hallmark of legislators, both past and present, who represent the 21st District,” Munoz said in a statement.  “I will bring the same principles and dedication to the Legislature as my husband.  I look forward to contributing to the effort in making New Jersey a better place to live and work.”

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany)  named Munoz, a clinical nurse by training, to serve on the Assembly’s Health & Senior Services and Human Services Committees.    

The Team: Nancy Munoz, state Sen. Tom Kean (R-Westfield), Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield).

MOUNTAINSIDE - Nancy Munoz, the widow of Assemblyman Eric Munoz (R-Summit), prevailed tonight in a special Union GOP convention bid to replace her husband in the 21st Legislative District. 

Nancy Munoz defeated Long Hill School Board member Bruce Meringolo and Long Hill Mayor George Vitureira respectively by a vote of 174 to 34 to 16.

The win came with a back story of some gritted teeth, and a few sets of those were still clearly on edge as members of the county committee filed into tonight’s special convention here at L’Affair on Route 22, and appeared little mollified by state Sen. Tom Kean’s (R-Westfield) observation that county chairmen from Morris and Essex and Somerset had not arrived “as yet.”

The truth was they weren’t there, and they weren’t going to be there – no chairman used to playing the leading man would be able to bear the inevitable loss coming in here - not as long as Union County chairman Phil Morin, who holds the bulk of power in the Union County-heavy 21st District, had finally and firmly gone and backed the widow of Munoz.

Republicans in the 21st Legislative District will hold their convention to replace the late Assemblyman Eric Munoz (R-Summit) on Monday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Munoz’s wife, Nancy, has decided to run to take over her husband’s seat and has the support of most Republican leaders and organizations. 

Long Hill Mayor George Vitureira, who is backed by Morris County Republican Chairman John Sette, and Long Hill Board of Education member Bruce Meringolo both also filed to run in the primary. 

School Board member Bruce Meringolo

LONG HILL – Bullied by Union County in the 21st District, two men from neighboring Morris County entered the Republican Primary, but don’t seem to be able to get out of each other’s way as they try to mutually make the case that they’re bigger than Long Hill Township.

Not only are they from the same county and same town, but making things triply tough on Mayor George Vitureira and School Board member Bruce Meringolo is the fact that they’re running against the widow of Assemblyman Eric Munoz (R-Summit). The finer complexities of politics aside, it’s hard to get in a street fight with the next of kin of a beloved former lawmaker, and a nurse at that - and a woman on top of it.

Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) is also in this race, and in a good place organization-wise, seeking reelection from the bigger Union County portion of the district with the backing of party leadership. 

The filing deadline is Monday at 4PM, which means the campaign for State Assembly in the 21st district that some Republicans didn't want to start until after Eric Munoz's funeral today is already a little late.  Regardless of who wins the special election convention to fill the remaining ten months of his term, Republicans will need to file a candidate by Monday afternoon to avoid mounting a write-in campaign to win the June primary.

Republicans will likely put the name of a placeholder on their petitions - someone who will agree to drop out so the new candidate can run.  But election law in New Jersey is always a little fuzzy, and technically - not that the New Jersey Supreme Court necessarily cares - the Committee on Vacancies expires three days after the petitions are filed.  That could mean the Republicans will need to get their act together by next Thursday.

Democrats do not view the race for State Assembly in the 21st district as winnable even with the death of popular Assemblyman Eric Munoz (R-Summit) and are unlikely to put up much of a fight in November against the winner of a special election convention to fill the vacant State Assembly seat.  Munoz and Assembly Minority Whip Jon Bramnick won re-election by more than 10,000 votes in 2007.

Eric Munoz, M.D. (1947-2009)

There will be no announcements regarding the scheduling of a special election convention until after Assemblyman Eric Munoz's funeral on Friday, but Republican leaders in the 21st district were busy yesterday talking politics and considering options for the upcoming Assembly race.  The early speculation is that there are two contenders for the Assembly seat: former Summit Council President Kelly Hatfield and Phil Morin, the Union County GOP Chairman and a former Mayor of Cranford.  Hatfield appears to be locking up some key endorsements in a campaign that won't officially begin until Friday, but Morin may have the backing of Nancy Munoz, the wife of the late Assemblyman.