Richard Zeoli

All eight countywide elected officials from Sussex County today endorsed Christopher Christie for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, along with Sussex GOP Chair Ailish Hambel and former County Chairman Richard Zeoli.  But Christie has not yet scored a Sussex sweep, with U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-Wantage), State Sen. Steven Oroho (R-Franklin), Assemblywoman Alison McHose (R-Franklin), Assemblyman Gary Chiusano (R-Frankford), former State Sen. Robert Littell, and former GOP State Chair Virginia Littell still uncommitted in the Republican primary for Governor.

Former Sparta Mayor Ailish Hambel was elected Sussex County Republican Chairman today, succeeding Richard Zeoli.  Zeoli resigned on February 1 to seek the GOP nomination for Freeholder.

Richard Zeoli, the author of The 7 Principles of Public Speaking, is giving up the Sussex GOP Chairman post to run for Freeholder.

Former Sparta Mayor Ailish Hambel has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Richard Zeoli as Sussex County Republican Chairman when County Committee members hold a special election on February 7.  Zeoli, the Chairman since 2003, is resigning on Saturday to focus on his campaign for the GOP Freeholder nomination.

Hambel was Acting County Chairman briefly in 2003. As Vice Chair, she took over when David Mortimer resigned to run for the State Assembly after Scott Garrett won a seat in Congress.  Jill Space, the current Vice Chair, will be Acting County Chairman for the week between Zeoli's resignation and the election of his successor.

Zeoli, a former aide to Garrett and Acting Governor Donald DiFrancesco, is seeking the seat of Glen Vetrano, who is not a candidate for re-election. 

The text of Zeoli's letter to the County Committee follows:

Sussex County Republican Chairman Richard Zeoli has already emerged as the establishment candidate for freeholder next year

Sussex County Republican Chairman Richard Zeoli will step down from his leadership post to run for the freeholder seat being vacated by seven-year incumbent Glen Vetrano, who has decided not to seek reelection next year.

Zeoli, 33, has been chairman of the county’s dominant party since 2003.

“I have a real love for this county and a belief that it’s time to give back. I was encouraged by a lot of elected officials,” said Zeoli.

Zeoli will run on a slate with Assemblywoman Alison Littell Mchose (R-Franklin Twp.), Assemblyman Gary Chiusano (R-Franklin Twp.), incumbent Freeholder Susan Zellman and Surrogate Nancy Fitzgibbons. He also said that he has the formal endorsement of Vetrano.

John McCain’s campaign will announce endorsements from thirteen Republican County Chairs that had been supporting Rudy Giuliani for President, and from Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. and other legislators.  There are two holdouts: Sussex GOP Chairman Richard Zeoli, who has not decided if he will endorse any of the candidates before Tuesday’s primary; and Middlesex GOP Chairman Joseph Leo, largely because  no one could reach him to ask.

Sussex County GOP Chairman Richard Zeoli says that he would not consider supporting Sparta resident Peter Cavicchia II for Congress next year.

"Contributing money to John Kerry makes him a non-starter in a Republican primary, and we could not support anyone who was for Kerry before he was against him," Zeoli told PoliticsNJ.com.