Cape May County GOP Set to Welcome Van Drew If…; Sweeney Reacts

CREST HAVEN – Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton, Vice-Director Leonard C. Desiderio, Freeholder Jeffrey Pierson, County Clerk Rita Marie Fulginiti and Cape May County Sheriff Bob Nolan issued a statement that they would welcome U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-2nd) if he changes to a Republican. 
According to a release, Van Drew has worked diligently in a bipartisan way his entire political career as a mayor (of Dennis Township), freeholder, assemblyman, state senator and as a congressman for the taxpayers and citizens of Cape May County.
His principled stand against the partisan impeachment process by Democrats against President Trump took enormous courage and risk.
“We will wholeheartedly welcome Congressman Van Drew to our Republican Party should he ultimately decide to become a Republican,” according to the statement.
Van Drew was the subject of a front-page story in the Dec. 15 Philadelphia Inquirer detailing the potential departure from the Democratic Party into the Republican Party. 
See the full story: https://bit.ly/2EkHYTM
*****
The following is from Senate President Steven Sweeney regarding Van Drew’s possible party switch:
Steve Sweeney, the president of the New Jersey Senate, was joined by other top Democrats from South Jersey – including every county chair in the 2nd Congressional District — in condemning Congressman Jeff Van Drew’s decision to switch to the Republican Party after it became clear he could not win re-election as a Democrat due to his defense of President Trump.
Van Drew’s decision became public just days after Sweeney and the chairs told Van Drew that they would not support him in next year’s Democratic primary.
“Jeff Van Drew’s decision to switch parties is a betrayal to every voter who supported him in 2018 – Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated. But now he is out of the Democratic Party and in November, we are going to take him out of Congress. We flipped the 2nd District from Republican to Democrat last year and we will do it again next year.”
Last week, these South Jersey leaders refused to sign a document committing their support to Van Drew.
Their support in 2018 – along with support from other New Jersey leaders, including the New Jersey Education Association, the New Jersey AFL-CIO, SEIU-New Jersey, New Jersey Democratic State Committee chairman John Currie and Gov. Phil Murphy – was instrumental in Van Drew’s 2018 narrow victory. Without their support, Van Drew will not be able to win election.