Monmouth County - The Monmouth County Republican Committee announced that they will back Curtis Bashaw for United States Senate. In a letter to County Committee members, Chairman Shaun Golden stated that the Monmouth GOP Leadership “met and made the determination to endorse the candidate who received the second highest number of votes in the runoff election at the convention and whom also had eliminated and defeated all the other candidates.”
The letter, sent the evening that ballot petition signatures were due, cited the “very limited timeframe that [Leadership] had to name a replacement.”
Alex Zdan, who won the Monmouth Convention on the second ballot 111-82, (57.5% - 42.5%) formally dropped his bid for the U.S. Senate on Monday. The upset victory showed a fair and tightly-run convention where the former News12 Reporter defeated the presumed frontrunner Bashaw for the must-win county’s line.
”An emergent decision was needed due to filing deadlines,” said Golden in a statement to CJN. “Thanks to our leadership and our vice-chairs, we reached this decision collectively after intense deliberation and are confident in not only our choice, but in Curtis Bashaw’s down-ballot strategy and his victory come November.”
Golden, citing Zdan’s DUI in 2020, also added: “it was shocking and disappointing to learn of some personal background issues of which Mr. Zdan did not disclose to party leadership prior to convention which had left our party exposed.”
Zdan’s departure now sets up a primary showdown between Bashaw and Glassner. Passaic County, who also backed Zdan, endorsed Bashaw Mnday morning per the New Jersey Globe.
Bashaw saw victories in Atlantic, Ocean, Cumberland, Somerset, Camden, Mercer, Gloucester, Middlesex, Cape May, Burlington, Salem, and Essex counties.
All three U.S. Senate candidates made their case to Monmouth voters at forums held in Middletown and Hazlet prior to the convention.
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