Ocean County GOP Chairman Holman Turns to “Gilmore PAC” for Much Needed Campaign Cash

Phil Stilton

TOMS RIVER-Last month, newly minted GOP boss Frank B. Holman, III was blasting the Southern Ocean Conservative Republicans PAC for hosting a fundraiser as being a plot to undermine his authority by former GOP Chairman George Gilmore.   This week, Holman is asking them for money.

“Despite my specific request as county chairman not to compete with our county’s fundraising efforts, these individuals, with the full assistance of George Gilmore, have chosen to ignore this quest and have created a PAC known as SOC-R PAC,” Holman said in a letter to some Republican leaders obtained by the New Jersey Globe.  “I view this effort as a direct attack on the OCGOP.”

Now, with cash reserves for the Ocean County GOP at all-time lows, Holman has had a change of heart, along with other Ocean County Republicans who have shunned the former chairman.

“Our Freeholders and Sheriff are running for re-election this year, and we would greatly appreciate any support your organization can offer,” Holman asked in a letter soliciting the Gilmore aligned PAC for money. “Additionally, our Ocean County Republican Finance Committee supports candidates throughout the county and can also accept contributions.”


Back in August, Holman told the New Jersey Globe that he has formed a new finance committee to support the county and municipal campaigns.

Since that time, Holman has had to ask municipal Republicans not involved in elections to donate money up to the county to support this year’s campaigns.

As of July, that committee had just $6,250.08 cash on hand.  Holman’s finance committee raised $90,410 as of the July reporting and spent $84,160, most of which went towards payroll, insurance, rent, and event-related expenditures.

Holman was not the only “anti-Gilmore” Republican asking the former chairman for cash.   The campaign of Maurice Hill for Mayor in Toms River also solicited funding from Gilmore.  It was Hill who initially called for Gilmore’s resignation as GOP Chairman.   Despite calls by Hill to “turn the page” on Gilmore and “put him in the past”, Hill showed that he still needs Gilmore’s financial assistance in this year’s race.

The SOCR PAC agreed to provide Holman with a campaign donation to the Ocean County Freeholders and Ocean County Sheriff Mastronardy, but so far have not committed to giving funding to Hill’s campaign, which according to a recent poll, is trailing opponent Jonathan Petro.

 

 

You appear to be using an ad blocker

Shore News Network is a free website that does not use paywalls or charge for access to original, breaking news content. In order to provide this free service, we rely on advertisements. Please support our journalism by disabling your ad blocker for this website.