FLORHAM PARK – Tayfun Selen was exhorting the crowd, briefly raising his fist in salute as Jon Bramnick started a chant of “USA, USA.”

Only in America is how Selen describes what’s happened to him since arriving from Turkey 26 years ago. He’s gone from pumping gas in Madison to running for Congress in CD-11.

It’s an impressive story to be sure, and one Selen tells often. Still, the hard reality of politics is that a compelling story in itself is not going to get you to Congress.

At the same time, Republicans are psyched. Polls that show Joe Biden and the Democrats are in trouble have GOP loyalists talking about a “red wave.”

Laura Ali, the Morris Republican chair, boldly predicted that the Republicans’ path to retaking the House will start in New Jersey.

That means CD-11, where Selen was endorsed three weeks ago by Morris Republicans. Thursday night at the Park Savoy was both his coming out party and a fundraiser.

Bramnick, who just ascended from the Assembly to the Senate, was the guest of honor.

He said Selen, a man on the go, has unlimited energy.

“I would not want to be the candidate running against Tayfun Selen,” Bramnick said.

Bravado aside, the other candidate in the race, Mikie Sherrill, won’t be easy to beat. She has won twice by comfortable margins and the new map has made the district more Democratic by moving it further east into parts of Essex. Parts of Republican-leaning Sussex County were moved out of CD-11 and replaced by strong Democratic towns like Maplewood and South Orange.

Selen, who is now director of the board of county commissioners, said he is living the American dream, but that his opponents are trying to destroy it. By that, he meant the national Democratic Party, which in his mind represents socialism.

Morris County is where most of the district’s Republicans are, so the party endorsement is a big deal.

But there are other candidates.

Paul DeGroot, a former assistant Passaic County prosecutor, lost the Morris convention, but is running in the primary. Toby Anderson, who also lost the convention, plans to run as well.

After filing his petitions this week, DeGroot sent out a release with the slogan, “A Republican who can win.” His release got a little ahead of the game.

It ignored his main primary opponent, Selen, and concentrated on lambasting the Democrats.