AVALON – Cape May County Republican Committee members backed Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and Undersheriff Robert Nolan to replace their outgoing bosses, endorsing them for governor and sheriff in the two contested races before them at a March 13 convention.
Using voting machines, the committee members gathered at the Avalon Community Center also supported a slate of candidates for state and county offices, including Mary Gruccio of Vineland to take on longtime incumbent Sen. Jeff Van Drew for state senate and Brian McDowell of North Wildwood and James Sauro of Vineland for state Assembly, challenging Democrats Robert Andrzejczak and Bruce Land.
Gruccio is the superintendent of Vineland’s school district. Sauro is a Cumberland County freeholder. McDowell is a Realtor and former contestant on “The Apprentice” who was the Cape May County campaign coordinator for Donald Trump last year.
At the county level, incumbent freeholders Will Morey and Jeffrey Pierson and county Surrogate M. Susan Sheppard received the party’s support.
“The convention went extremely well,” said Marcus Karavan, the county’s Republican leader. “All of the participants seemed satisfied with the manner in which it was accomplished.”
Each candidate was given an opportunity to speak, he said, adding that the messages were all timely. The committee members used voting machines to make their decisions, although some submitted absentee ballots as well.
Speakers included Guadagno, New Jersey’s first lieutenant governor. She was the clear winner out of the four candidates, with 127 votes, according to a tally from County Clerk Rita Fulginiti.
The next closest was 16th District Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, who received 24 votes.
Nolan, too, took a strong lead in the voting, 121 to opponent Richard Harron’s 44. Of the 213 committee members eligible to participate, 166 votes were cast, according to Fulginiti.
Nolan did not respond to several requests for comment.
After the convention, Harron thanked supporters but left the door open to a possible challenge in the primary election June 6. He has until April 3 to make a decision.
“We worked hard to bring a vision and the issues raised by people within the Sheriff’s Department and officers with other departments to light,” Harron said. “We did the best we could.”
A retired Sheriff’s Department officer, Harron’s time with the department included years as the warden of the county jail.
While Nolan pledged to abide by the Republican committee decision, Harron put off questions about a primary until after the vote. Last week, he put off the question again.
“I don’t know yet. We’re moving in that direction, but we haven’t made a final decision yet,” he said.
Cape May County Democratic leader Jeffrey Sutherland was not immediately available for comment on the Democratic slate this year.
To contact Bill Barlow, email bbarlow@cmcherald.com.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
