Loren Oglesby

Phyllis Scapellato and Larry Wallace, the Republican candidates for Gloucester County Freeholder in 2008, want GOP County Chairman Loran Oglesby to resign.

Led by a former Republican freeholder candidate, critics of Gloucester County Republican Chairwoman Loran Oglesby have launched an offensive intended to force her from office.

"If she cares anything about this party she'll resign now -- step down gracefully while she still has good favor," said Phyllis Scapellato, a school administrator who unsuccessfully ran for freeholder last year, coming a little under 14,000 votes short of the least popular Democrat, Freeholder Warren Wallace. 

Oglesby is up for reelection in June, but her detractors would like to see her removed before then, so that she does not have a role in picking the next slate of county-wide candidates for the beleaguered minority party.

Scapellato, who thinks that her top vote-getting running mate, Larry Wallace, might have beaten Warren Wallace had it not been for Oglesby's management, has started a Web site, itsnotlorensparty.com that states its sole aim as to "begin the search for a new chairman of the Gloucester County Republican Executive Committee."

Paul Reed, the Salem County Republican Chairman, would like to see his own county - the least populous in New Jersey - get some representation in the state legislature.  But even with Democratic Assemblyman Doug Fisher (D-Bridgeton) set to be nominated as Secretary of Agriculture, no local Republicans have stepped forward yet.

"We haven't had representation in Salem County for a long time, and we need representation up there," said Reed.  "I've asked around and don't have any.  It doesn't mean there won't be anybody who wants to step up between now and April.  I've been looking through the bushes, but I don't have any prospects at this time."

Salem County, with a population of about 65,000, is the only county in the state without a representative in the legislature, and has been since former Assembly Speaker Jack Collins, a Republican, retired in after the 2001 election.  It is located completely in the 3rd Legislative District along with parts of Gloucester and Cumberland Counties.  It makes up about 31 percent of the district's population to Gloucester's 48 percent and Cumberland's 21 percent.

"In my 28 years in the Senate, there was always a representative from Salem.  That's not to say that a representative wouldn't be acceptable from Cumberland - it certainly would have. It just worked out that's the way it was," said former state Sen. Raymond J. Zane, who lost reelection to Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) after switching parties in 2001.  "I don't think it would be a good idea for all three to be from Gloucester County."

Gloucester County GOP Chairman Loran Oglesby is accusing former Assemblyman Steve Altamuro traded his endorsement for a legal job at the Washington Township public library.  Altamuro, a former Councilman, switched from Republican to Democrat in 2008 to back Matt Lyons for mayor. 

"I am not shocked that Altamuro received this contract.  Steve Altamuro is an opportunist at best.  He was a Republican and when the political winds blew Altamuro's way, he abandoned the Washington Twp Republican Party who were loyal to him throughout his political career," said Oglesby.  "Steve Altamuro switched to Democrat last year knowing that if Matt Lyons becomes Mayor, then he will get a job from his good friend.  No other person was able to bid for this contract. No wonder  the Democrats get away with this in New Jersey, these deals of party flipping and then receiving political favors, needs to end." 

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.

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani has picked up some more New Jersey endorsements, including Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, Assemblymen James Holzapfel and Samuel Thompson, Passaic County GOP Chairman Scott Rumana, Gloucester County GOP Chairwoman Loren Oglesby, and Republican State Committee Vice Chairwoman Lynda Pagliughi.