Tom Blakely

Rick Merkt may be running a distant third in the race for the Republican nomination for Governor, but Chris Venis, his campaign manager and chief strategist has already had a win this year: Venis' race horse, Miss Blakely -- named for the late Thomas Blakely, a highly regarded Republican political consultant who passed away last year at the age of 46 -- won the Boynton each Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Florida. She is on schedule to run in the $500,000.000 Woodbine Canadian Oaks, first race in the Canadian filly Triple Crown.

A dispute between the family of Republican political consultant Tom Blakely and Transamerica Life Insurance Corp. has been resolved.  Blakely passed away last March at age 46 after suffering a heart attacks while running a 5K race.    

A week earlier, Blakely sent a check to the company for his family's second life insurance policy with Trasamerica, which disputed the family's claim.  That led Blakely's close friend and business partner at Jamestown, Larry Weitzner, to organize a lawsuit and a tough public relations push against Transamerica on behalf of Blakely's family.

Our first list of New Jersey's Best Political Operatives, from March 2000:

The struggle of the late political consultant Tom Blakely’s widow to secure payment from the life insurance policy her husband signed just days before he died may lead to legislation in New Jersey. 

Last month, four state Senators wrote a letter to TransAmerica Life Insurance Corp. CEO Patrick S. Baird inviting him or a representative of the company to meet with them over legislation they plan to propose next month that would change the way life insurance companies operate in New Jersey.

TransAmerica has been assailed by prominent New Jersey Republicans ever since it challenged the validity of Blakely’s second policy with the company.  Blakely was a co-founder of Jamestown Associates, a top Republican consulting firm, and died in March after collapsing during a 5K race in Bordentown. 

On March 7, 46-year-old Republican political consultant Tom Blakely and his wife, Deborah, sent off a check to Transamerica Life Insurance Corp., beginning the family’s second life insurance policy with the company.

The timing of the Blakelys' decision to take on that policy turned out to be a tragic coincidence.

On March 15, while running a weekend 5K race in Bordentown, Blakely suffered a heart attack, collapsed and died on the spot. Shockwaves immediately reverberated through the political community, many of whom had known Blakely, a fit former Marine with two children ages three and one, for decades, and who had used his company, Jamestown Associates, to run their campaigns.

But two months after Blakely’s death, Transamerica is disputing his family’s claim for the second life insurance policy, and still has not paid their first one.

Sen. Joseph Kyrillos(R-Monmouth) considers his 12-15 year professional relationship and friendship with the late political operative.

Tom Blakely's widow celebrates him on the day of the Republican political consultant's funeral.

PRINCETON - Larry Weitzner, CEO of Jamestown Associates, reflects on his friend, Tom Blakely, who was president of the political consulting firm.

PRINCETON - John Wilson, art director at Jamestown Associates political consulting firm, was with Tom Blakely on the day he died.

PRINCETON - Republican political operative Chris Meekins, campaign manager for Andy Harris, says he learned more in Harris' congressional campaign in Maryland under Tom Blakely's direction than in all of his other political campaigns combined.