MERCER COUNTY REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE CHAIRWOMAN LISA RICHFORD UNABLE TO ALLOW THE REPUBLICAN LINE

Hamilton, NJ – Mercer County Republican Committee (MCRC) Chairwoman Lisa Richford said today that it is farcical to Republicans everywhere that the Hamilton Township Republican Committee (HTRC) have made Democrats their partners this year.  The HTRC has presented two life-long Democrats as candidates for the Hamilton Council seats for election this November.  Democrat and former Gilmore Administration Department of Public Works Director Richard Balgowan and former Gilmore running mate and Democrat Councilman Vinnie Capodanno.  “We at the Mercer County Republican Committee cannot overlook the fact that Hamilton Republican Chairman Dennis Pone and his Hamilton Republican Committee could not find their way to identify Republicans to fill a ticket for Council seats open for election this year.” Richford said. “It seems that Mr. Pone and the HTRC made no true effort to advertise, by to my knowledge not putting the call out in any of the area news media for interviews to select qualified Republican candidates.  Instead, by the way the process was played out, it insulted every single qualified Republican by selecting two Democrats giving Republican voters no viable options. Their actions are appalling.”

There was an eleventh  hour HTRC Screening Committee three days before  the Thursday evening Convention that consisted of Chief of Staff and Director of Economic Development Martin Flynn, Department of Public Works head David Carothers, Director of Health, Recreation and Senior Service Jeffery Plunket and Secretary to Business Administrator David Kenny and Hamilton Republican Club President Cheryl Doonan and former Trenton City Councilman, former temporary appointed Hamilton Councilman and Candidate Gino Melone.

“To have the HTRC Chair endorse these nominees by embracing one of his life-long political enemies in Gilmore Era Democrat, former Councilman Capodanno, the man who has made it his personal mission to tear down everything Republican and especially former Republican Mayor Jack Rafferty for the last 20 years. Democrat Richard Balgowan did not even interview with the screening committee. At the end of the HTRC Convention, Yaede immediately endorsed them both as her running mates for the coming primary election.  As the leader of our hard working and dedicated Mercer County Republicans and our disenfranchised Hamilton Republicans, I must state that we cannot support this Democrat ticket.”

“My job, duty and responsibility as the County Chair is to protect the integrity of the process.  The process was highly inappropriate, flawed and wrong and as Republican Chair I just can’t overlook.”

“It is disingenuous, dishonest and patently unfair to every Republican Candidate on the Republican line and to every Republican Voter in the June 4^th, 2019 Primary to give the Yaede, Capodanno and Balgowan slate the Republican line.”