The Tentative Plans to Honor Retiring Rodney Frelinghuysen

Frelinghuysen

Morris County Republicans say they want to honor the outgoing Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, but the congressman does not seem interested.

GOP sources say Frelinghuysen, who is wrapping up a 24-year stay in the House, has said he doesn’t want any tributes.

On one hand, this is consistent with Frelinghuysen’s low-key demeanor. Over the years, I have heard him say more than once after the fact about legislative achievements,  “We didn’t publicize it.”

Yet on the other hand, the congressman’s position combined with his public disappearing act over the last few months had puzzled many Republicans.

Still, according to one Republican source, there are tentative plans to honor Frelinghuysen early next year at the Grand Cafe, a well-known fine dining establishment in Morristown. This is envisioned as a dinner with about 40 of the congressman’s close friends and supporters.

Meanwhile, the district’s new congressional representative as of Jan. 3, Democrat Mikie Sherrill, continues to get acquainted with local institutions. Earlier this month, she attended the Morris County Crimestoppers’ cocktail party in Whippany. This is technically a non-political group, but given the fact it is Morris County, most of those involved with it are Republicans. And this week, she visited Daytop, a drug and alcohol treatment center in Mendham Township.

“The work they do, tailored to each patient and integrated with family and community is so important,”  Sherrill said in a tweet.

Daytop, as any treatment center should, crosses political lines. Former Governor Chris Christie, who lives in Mendham Township, has been a big supporter of Daytop through the years.

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In a related pre-Christmas political matter out of Morris, Republicans are already gearing up to defend two GOP Assembly seats in the 25th District.

Prompted by Gov. Murphy’s comments that raising taxes next year may be necessary, Morris Republicans called on the district’s Democratic Assembly candidates, Lisa Bhimani and Darcy Draeger, to denounce the idea.

Of course, before they get to next November, Republicans likely will have a contested primary to fill out the Assembly ticket because of the departure of Michael P. Carroll. The other incumbent is Anthony M. Bucco.

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