Hanlon wins NJGOP Chair, pledges unity and tenacity
Monmouth County's secret weapon will now take her success statewide.
Hamilton - NJGOP state committee members filled the Hibernian’s dinner hall and elected Monmouth County Clerk and GOP co-chair Christine Hanlon as Chairwoman of the party. Hanlon garnered 26 votes to Rosemary Becchi’s 15. Former Bogota Mayor and activist Steve Lonegan earned a single vote while WakeUpNJ influencer Mike Currie received no votes after a struggle to be nominated.
In her remarks, Hanlon emphasized restoring confidence in and among republicans across the state. She pledged to be a “year round chair” and will not take a salary or stipend while at the helm of the party. The NJGOP under Hanlon’s tenure will focus on creating a cohesive apparatus for victory down the ballot and across the state, as well as establishing coalitions and an election integrity task force to take on the eroded trust in the electoral process.
”New Jersey is not a one size fits all state,” Hanlon said as she described what she envisioned as a “big tent” party that works for unity in mission and purpose. “We can no longer fight inward and must begin to fight outward,” she remarked.
Hanlon’s record includes building a strong GOP organization in Monmouth County, expanding Republican voter registration, and supporting victories up and down the ballot through grassroots organizing and candidate support. As county clerk, Hanlon championed modernization efforts, voter-access initiatives, and election integrity programs proving effective, results-oriented leadership.
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The "year round chair" commitment with no salary is a smart signal to grassroots activists who've seen too many leaders check out between cycles. Hanlon's Monmouth County track record of expanding GOP registration and down-ballot victories gives her credibility that pure theory doesn't. The challenge will be translating that local apparatus statewide without losing the county-specific flexibility she mentioned. I've watched party rebuilds fail when they try forcing one model everywhere, so the "not a one size fits all" framing matters more than it sounds. Election integrty task force is probably the highest ROI move here given how trust erosion feeds apathy.