MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ – Manchester Township Mayor Ken Palmer has resigned for greener pastures. The Republican was appointed to become a judge by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. As part of the political exchange, Republican powerbrokers in Ocean County, aligned with the Governor appointed John Hudak to become interim mayor.
GOP Chairman Frank B. Holman, whose firm was caught funding Democrat candidates in the past and his underling, New Jersey Assemblyman Greg McGuckin backed Hudak. Both Holman and McGuckin have public contracts with the town of Manchester.
The Manchester Republican Club however has gone against the wishes of the chairman and his brute political enforcer, McGuckin.
“As the President of the Manchester Regular Republican Club (the Club), I am writing to inform you that on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, the Club has voted unanimously to endorse and support Robert Arace for Mayor of Manchester and Joe Hankins for Manchester Council, the Arace Team,” said Republican Club President Frank J Nicolato. “The Club appreciates your support of our great candidates and look forward to working with you to ensure victory in November.”
At this point, Holman and McGuckin now have just three months to concoct a coup of the Manchester club as they did in Toms River after not getting their way, or to create a new club in Manchester to usurp the township club, as they also did in Toms River.
We reached out to McGuckin, the strong-arm of the Ocean County party whose “Do as I say or face the consequences” approach has scared nearly every Republican in Ocean County who holds a public patronage job.
McGuckin did not reply when asked if he was going to form a new club in Manchester to overthrown the town’s regular Republican Club.