Camden County Republican Chairman Rich Ambrosino and Gloucester County Republican Chairwoman Jacci Vigilante announced today that Nicholas “Nick” Kush has been selected as the GOP candidate in the special election to fill the unexpired term of former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay. The Republican Party is filing the paperwork this afternoon.

“After an exhaustive search Nick Kush has agreed to step up and run for Assembly in the fifth district special election,” said CCGOP Chair Rich Ambrosino. “This isn’t the first time Kush has stepped up to help the party, he put his name up for freeholder years ago when we had a candidate drop out at the last minute.

“I didn’t have the chance to interact with Mr. Kush when he ran for freeholder but having sat with him and discussed the race I think he can bring attention to the campaign,” the chair added. “He’s a pro-Trump, anti-tax increase kind of candidate who is not a fan of Governor Murphy and his policies.”

“After I was elected chair in Gloucester County, Rich and I met and agreed we would leave no spot on the ballot our counties share open, that we will compete everywhere,” Gloucester County Chairwoman Jacci Vigilante said. “Everyone, including Mr. Kush, understands the fifth is a tough district for Republicans, but he may be the right guy at the right time, he’ll certainly keep the Democrats busy.”

“When my son was sent to ask me to run I was happy to help and made it clear that I’m not going to be one of those guys who just puts their name on the ballot,” Nick Kush said, referring to longtime GOP operative Steve Kush. “I’m still trying to figure out how so many people voted for a guy for governor who promised to raise our taxes, I’m against almost everything the governor is for. He’s going to raise our gas tax again, but it won’t make the roads any better. The governor is going to work with others to ban plastics, but that won’t make our neighborhoods any cleaner. This governor never met a tax he didn’t like, probably because he can afford it, but I can’t, somebody needs to fight against all his taxes, it might as well be me.”

Nick Kush resides in Runnemede with his wife Laurie. He has five adult children and several grandchildren. He was a member of Teamsters Local 676 for 27 years as the shipper/receiver at the Wonderbread/Hostess depot in Bellmawr. Retirement wasn’t affordable forcing Kush to spend another 12 years working in the Gloucester Township Public Schools as a member of the Gloucester Township Support Professional Union.