As a Municipal Chair from the Burlington County portion of LD-8, Secretary for the Burlington County Republican Committee, and member of the Screening Committee, I am officially calling on Chairman Sean Earlen to disband the current back-room screening committee and replace it with the 15 Burlington County chairmen who currently represent the 8th district to serve on the screening committee being held this Saturday. This is the only way can we ensure the process is in fact open and transparent. 

In recent days, secrets, lies, and innuendo have become all too common in our party; this is a failure in leadership in both Chairman Sean Earlen and Vice Chairwoman Linda Hughes. It is clear that the handling of this entire situation has been designed to ensure that our voices are not being heard. By stacking the last chairman’s meeting with non-8th District chairman and non-elected officials, chairman Earlen attempted to shut down the voices of concern within our party. I do not feel it is right for those who do not live within the 8th District (Burlington County) to be making the decision on who should be running for Assembly in LD-8. 

The only way to truly have transparency in this process is to empower each of our chairmen with the ability to screen and select the candidates that will represent them. Unless this failure to provide an open and fair process is rectified, I feel that I will be left with no other alternative but to resign as a member of the Burlington County Republican screening committee. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter, I look forward to the day that the Burlington County Republican Committee returns to being an open and honest party.   

Respectfully, 

Abigail Bargar 

Burlington County Republican Committee Secretary 

Pemberton Township Municipal Chairwoman