COURT HOUSE — Over 150 county Republicans gathered at the Avalon Links Restaurant on Election Night Tue., Nov. 2 celebrating several apparent victories.
Around 9 p.m., county GOP Chairman Michael Donohue announced that Republican freeholder candidates Gerald Thornton and Susan Sheppard won convincingly over Democratic challengers Robert Jackson and Patrick Morley. He noted other likely GOP victories including Tom Conrad in Lower Township, Margaret Bishop, Salvatore Zampirri in North Wildwood and Eugene Glembocki in Dennis Township. (Some of those races are actually too close to call.)
“Voters in Cape May County and throughout the country have swept us back into office because we’ve returned to basic Republican values of smaller government, lower taxes and private enterprise to create jobs,” Donohue told the assembled guests. “We’ve been given this mandate by the voters and we have to deliver or they’ll throw us out on our ears next time.”
“It’s a great night for Republicans in Cape May County,” Donohue told the Herald, noting that the ticket was driven by U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo at the top.
Donohue said Sheppard and Thornton have worked nonstop since last March. They ran on a slogan of experienced change and that’s what they intend to bring to county government, Donohue said.
He said the county Republican Party has healed since the fierce primary election, which saw his rise to the top of the county GOP and the demise of former Chairman David Von Savage.
“Everyone helped in this election. We did a lot of work to come together,” Donohue said. “It would have been such a decisive victory if the party wasn’t’ whole again.”
Sheppard is the newest county freeholder and only the second woman to be elected to that post in this county’s 300-year history.
Donohue called her part of a new generation of leaders.
Sheppard told the Herald she was very excited by the victory. She thanked her husband Frank, her three children and her mother “for babysitting so much during the campaign.”
Although unsure of her areas of oversight in county government and unable to give specifics about what she hoped to accomplish there, Sheppard said she definitely wanted to fulfill some of the issues they discussed during the campaign.
“I’d like to hold a convention with municipal leaders to discuss possible shared services agreements to reduce costs for both local and county governments,” she said. “While still maintaining the services that county residents expect and deserve.”
“I feel so blessed that the voters of Cape May County have given me this opportunity and I truly look forward to serving them,” Sheppard said.
She agreed that the primary wounds have healed in the county GOP.
“We’re all one party now,” she said.
Thornton said county residents obtained a real asset by voting in Sheppard.
“She’s an intelligent young woman, who will add direct independent thought and new incite to county government,” Thornton told the Herald. “She believes in government being transparent. She’s very caring, responsive and community minded.”
Thornton said he and Sheppard went door-to-door for eight months and learned that “people want to be listened to.”
“We as elected officials have to remember that this is a gift given by the public,” he said. “They allow us to govern and we have an obligation to listen.”
Thornton said Donohue and the rest of the leadership in the county Republican Party “will be more sensitive to the electorate.”
Thornton said there are only a few of the old GOP guard who are resistant to this change. “They’re in denial,” he said.
“But it’s a change that people wanted,” he said. “It’s a new day for Cape May County.”
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?
