Peter Mancuso

Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson coasted to a third term last night, defeating former Morris Township Mayor Peter Mancuso by a 28-10 -- a percentage of 74%.  That means Wilson can remain at the help of the state party organization until at least June 2009, when the Republican nominee for Governor, by tradition, would name their choice for State Chairman.  Wilson was first elected in November 2004, defeating former Assemblyman Richard Kamin following the resignation of Joseph Kyrillos.  He held the post the following June when the '05 gubernatorial nominee, Douglas Forrester, decided to retain him.

Tom Wilson won another term as GOP State Chairman tonight, defeating rival Peter Mancuso.

Mancuso worked hard to become GOP Chair, pleading his case to any county committee officials and Republican players who would listen, but in the end he didn’t have the support to unseat Wilson. While the organization said they do not release vote tallies by custom, Mancuso said he heard the vote was 28 to 10.

Paul DiGaetano, who had also been seeking the position but was said to have dropped out of the race last week, did not show up to tonight’s meeting.

In his speech, Mancuso stressed t

Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore says he was "disheartened" by GOP State Chairman candidate Peter Mancuso's $1,000 contribution to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.  Gilmore says the check, written after Tom Kean, Jr. had already entered the race, was effectively a donation to Democrat Bob Menendez. 

Former Morris Township Mayor Peter Mancuso says he has a "guaranteed" pledge of $200,000 for the state GOP coffers -- if he wins Thursday's election for Republican State Chairman against incumbent Tom Wilson.

Former Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano is expected to drop his bid for Republican State Chairman, and is mulling opportunities to team up with one of the remaining candidates according to sources close the negotiations.  Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore has reportedly offered DiGaetano a new position -- Co-Chairman -- if he would back incumbent Tom Wilson for the post. 

Two firms owned by Republican fundraiser Lysa Israel have collected over $550,000 from the New Jersey Republican State Committee and legislative campaign committees in 2005 and 2006, while her husband, Tom Wilson, has served as GOP State Chairman -- a potential conflict that has emerged as an issue in Wilson’s bid for re-election this month.

During Wilson’s thirty months in office, nearly $850,000 in state GOP funds have gone to his wife, his brother-in-law, and himself, according to reports filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission and the Federal Election Commission.

Republican State Committee officials have declined to confirm Wilson’s salary, and since numerous monthly checks to Wilson include both salary and expense reimbursements, public records do not reveal an exact amount. Republican sources say that his salary is more than $150,000 annually – an amount that is consistent with the state GOP filings.

Candidates for GOP State Chairman: Tom Wilson, Peter Mancuso and Paul DiGaetano
With the race for GOP State Chairman just three weeks away, incumbent Tom Wilson has only nine of the 22 votes he needs to win solidly in his column. Another nine members of the Republican State Committee are leaning toward a second term, but nearly a third of the voters in this race say they are still undecided.

PoliticsNJ.com surveyed 34 of the 42 state committee members who will choose between Wilson and his two challengers, former Morris Township Mayor Peter Mancuso and former Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano in the June 14 election.

Mancuso has two definite votes, while one is leaning toward DiGaetano. Thirteen State Committee members told PoliticsNJ.com that they were undecided, and eight did not return calls seeking comment.

Former Morris Township Mayor and Republican State Committee Finance Chairman Peter Mancuso will run for Republican State Chairman in June. He made his final decision last night, after a twenty minute private conversation with his opponent, incumbent Tom Wilson, at a fundraiser in Morris County for Freeholder (and possible '09 gubernatorial candidate) John Murphy.

Former Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano is also mulling a bid for GOP State Chairman.