NJ GOP Establishment Disses Lonegan

This isn't Virginia related except to the extent that what happens in Congress will have an impact on Virginia gun owners, but there does appear to be some similarities to Virginia GOP committees in their mass meeting/convention processes of late.

There is an open seat to to replace retiring NJ Representative Jon Runyan (R) in the 3rd Congressional District.  Last year's U.S. Senate candidate Steve Lonegan is one of the candidates running to replace Runyan.  While Lonegan lost to Cory Booker, he won the 3rd Congressional District, a district that Barack Obama carried in 2012.  So, Lonegan felt he had a good chance to win the seat.  Unfortunately, according to Roll Call, there was a setback Wednesday night.

New Jersey Republicans avoided a nightmare scenario Wednesday night in the highly competitive, open-seat race for the 3rd District.

Ocean County Republicans endorsed former Randolph Mayor Tom MacArthur as their preferred nominee. The endorsement comes five days after the Burlington County GOP also backed MacArthur.

In 2008, the two county parties supported different Republicans for the nod and lost the 3rd District. In hindsight, many Garden State Republicans blame the party’s loss on that feud over the GOP nominee.

But this cycle, MacArthur has defeated two other contenders — Tom’s River Councilman Mo Hill and former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan for the local GOP’s backing. As a result, MacArthur is the odds-on favorite to win the GOP nomination versus the likely Democratic nominee, Burlington County Freeholder Aimee Belgard.

Lonegan was a favorite of the Tea Party in his campaign for the U.S. Senate last year.  Firearm range owner and NRA Board Candidate Anthony Colandro was also a prominent booster of Lonegan's during last year's campaign.  Lonegan recently appeared on Gun for Hire Radio which Colandro also produces to talk about the current campaign.

There were apparently some shenanigans in the county convention process, not unlike has been the case in Virginia GOP mass meetings this year.

Meanwhile, Lonegan supporters were disgusted with the convention process, which they dismissed as unfair. The candidates were barred from addressing the convention and Ocean County Republican Chairman George R. Gilmore seemed to forget Lonegan in his introduction of the contenders.

“I’m still in the race, Mr. Chairman,” Lonegan called out from the audience.

Peter and Beatrice Humphris, 83 and 82, respectively, of Berkeley came armed with homemade placards bringing attention to what they asserted was a rigged fight.

Lonegan remains undeterred.  We shall see if the establishment endorsements mean victory in the primary as Roll Call suggests is usually the case.

Update: Bitter shared this information.  Wonder if this played into the thought processes of GOP leaders in the 3rd District.