Ocean County goes with Kelly: Let the battle of the bosses begin

by: Jason Springer

Mon Dec 10, 2007 at 09:04:25 PM EST

Ocean County Republicans today picked Freeholder John Kelly as their candidate for Congress.  Kelly, who was backed by the party screening committee on Saturday, won unanimously after Freeholder Joseph Vicari dropped out.

Campaign donations could help settle the contest between Burlington and Ocean counties, according to Republican state chairman Tom Wilson.

"Fundraising is a huge part of it," Wilson has said.

With his corporate ties, many expect Myers could raise big money before the primary election.

Paulsen and Gilmore are "very pragmatic people," Wilson said. If one candidate has raised "a prohibitive amount" of money by April, Wilson said he expected party leaders to avoid an inter-party fight.

We'll see how much the GOP primary voters and his running mates for the US Senate like his money when they see what he's doing with it...

So with news that Lockheed Martin executive Christopher Myers is mulling a bid for Congress in the third district (where is close friend, Jim Saxton, is retiring) came the obligatory check of his previous campaign contributions.  They are mostly to Republicans like Saxton (and to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign), but earlier this year he did write a $500 personal check to Frank Lautenberg's campaign for re-election to the U.S. Senate.  Does it matter?