Middle GOP Challenges Taylor Petition

COURT HOUSE – The Middle Township Regular Republican Organization, with the backing of the Cape GOP, is challenging the validity of the petition submitted by Middle Township resident Patricia Taylor to run as an Independent Republican for Middle Township Committee in 2016. An official objection to the Taylor petition was filed with the County Clerk’s office June 10.
According to County GOP Chairman Marcus Karavan, a preliminary review of the petition revealed some signers were confused as to the nature of the petition, “In the last few days, members of our organization have spoken with folks who signed the Taylor petition believing it was a petition to run for School Board,” Karavan said. “Another signer reported that they thought Taylor was circulating the petition to challenge the officially endorsed Republican candidate, Dan Lockwood in the June 7 primary. There were a number of signatures of voters who already signed the petitions of other candidates seeking the same office. A total of nineteen Democrats signed this petition for a candidate wishing to run as a Republican. Whether intentional or not, there seems to be a fair amount of confusion surrounding this petition and what Pat Taylor told voters she was running for this year.  We plan to challenge several signatures and to interview many of those that signed this petition.”
Karavan said that several of the signatures on the petition have already been invalidated.  
Karavan defended the County Republican Organization’s fair and open process for endorsing party candidates. He said Pat Taylor took part in that process.
“If Pat Taylor wanted to run as a Republican candidate for Middle Township Committee, she was free to file a Republican petition and take part in the primary process,” Karavan explained. “As a member of the Middle Township GOP Committee, Taylor took part in the process that lead to the organization’s unanimous endorsement of Dan Lockwood for Township Committee. Per the County GOP Bylaws, Republican Committee members are obligated to support the candidates endorsed by the party in an open and transparent process.”
Pat Taylor, along with her husband Ed Taylor, were forced to resign from their positions as Leader and Deputy Leader of the Middle Township Regular Republican Organization earlier this year. A petition calling for their ouster, for conduct detrimental to the goals and mission of the Republican organization, was overwhelmingly approved by the Middle Township members of the GOP County Committee and forwarded to County GOP Leader Marcus Karavan.  Karavan then accepted the resignations of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor from their leadership positions.
“It became clear to the Middle Township Republican Organization that both Ed and Pat Taylor were supporting candidates opposed to the Middle Township GOP and the interests of Republican voters in Middle Township,” Karavan said. “Therefore, they were removed from their positions of leadership. This petition filed by Pat Taylor appears to be an attempt to divide our now strongly united Middle Township GOP organization.  We believe that Pat Taylor has entered this race for only one reason; to draw GOP votes away from Dan Lockwood and help Democrat Mike Clark get reelected.  All voters who truly support the Republican platform of lower taxes and smaller government (and the great work accomplished by Tim Donohue and Dan Lockwood in Middle Township)should reject Pat Taylor’s candidacy and rally behind the endorsed Cape May County GOP ticket.”