Race for Munoz seat underway, but official launch will be after funeral on Friday

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.

The last time there was a special election convention in District 21 was in 2003, when Richard Bagger unexpectedly resigned from the Senate and Thomas Kean, Jr. moved up from the Assembly to replace him.  Hatfield and Morin entered the race for Kean's seat, along with five others: Westfield GOP Municipal Chairman Jon Bramnick, former Union County Freeholder Henry Kurz, former Morris County Assemblyman James Barry, Millburn Mayor Thomas McDermott, and Republican operative Dan Gallic of Somerset County.

Bramnick won the seat easily, but his victory was not as smooth as the final margin might suggest.  Prior to the convention, Union County Republicans essentially held a primary where Bramnick beat Morin by just three votes, 99-96.  Hatfield was eliminated on the first ballot. Bramnick won the final vote 137 to 51 over Barry, with McDermott receiving 25 votes and sixteen for Gallic. 

Munoz was elected in a 2001 special election convention when Kevin O'Toole left the Assembly to move up to the Senate.