Glen Mason

In the much-watched Monmouth County Freeholders contest in which Republican control is at stake, incumbent GOP Freeholder Director Lillian Burry leads all candidates in the individual money race.

However, her general election report, filed separately this week from running mate John Curley, also underscores how the two Republican candidates aren’t running a coordinated campaign.

Their separate efforts contrast with the joint report filed by their Democratic rivals: Amy Mallet and Glen Mason, who also regularly make the rounds together to public events, unlike Burry and Curley.

Ramping up their Monmouth County freeholder challenge, Democrats Amy Mallet and Glen Mason today charged Freeholder Director Lillian Burry with using taxpayer dollars to fund advertisements for homes that she is selling for personal profit.

In a release issued by Democratic Party spokesman Michael Mangan, the Democrats point out that on October 4th, Colts Neck will have its annual "Historical House Tour," sponsored by the Colts Neck Historical Society.

"Burry serves as chair of the society, which receives taxpayer funding to operate," said Mangan. "One of the primary events sponsored by the Historical Society is the House Tour, and Burry has placed one of the properties she is trying to sell on the tour."

GOP Freeholder candidate John Curley: Politicker file photoIt’s been labor by slow degrees.

Aided by Bush fatigue nationally and the Operation Bid Rig scandal locally, Democrats chipped steadily away at the Freeholder Board in Monmouth, foregoing potential Assembly gains elsewhere to focus on trying to build a majority in this longtime Republican stronghold.

Relying heavily on state party funds, they elected Barbara McMorrow two years ago and John D’Amico last year to get them to within one seat of swinging control of Monmouth in their favor.

Now with newly registered voters bolstering their numbers beyond the GOP’s - 99,282 Democrats to 86,992 Republicans - Democrats hope Amy Mallet and Glen Mason are poised to become their party’s next freeholders here. Freeholder Barbara McMorrow, left, stands with fellow Democrats, candidates Amy Mallet and Glen Mason.: Politicker file photo

In arguably the most consequential freeholder showdown of the year, those two must get past veteran Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and her running mate, Red Bank Councilman John Curley.

"As far as I can tell, it’s the premiere down ballot race in the state," State Party Chair Joseph Cryan said.

Although Democrats gleefully claim momentum going into this one, it will be no walk over for them.

MINNEAPOLIS - The Monmouth and Ocean County Central Labor Council (CLC) has endorsed Democratic freeholder candidates Amy Mallet and Glenn Mason, who are running against incumbent GOP Freeholder Lillian Burry and her running mate, Red Bank Councilman John Curley.

Mallett and Mason hope to be able to ride post Feb. 5th voter registration, which favors Democrats in the traditionally Republican Monmouth County. Registered Democratic voters now outnumber Republicans in Monmouth by 10,000.

Amy Mallet has not had much time to rest.

Last year, she ran for Assembly in what was perhaps the most hotly contested - and most expensive - election district in the state. Her entire ticket, which was made up of two incumbents, went down, largely attributed to a controversial farmland assessment tax break used by state Sen. Ellen Karcher.

But shortly after that loss, Mallet was again tapped by Democrats, the perennial minority party in Monmouth County, to work towards winning a majority on the freeholder board for the first time in recent memory. She's running with Hazlet Board of Education President Glen Mason against incumbent Republican Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Republican Red Bank Councilman John Curley, a former Democrat and outsider to machine politics who beat out the Republican establishment's choice to win the party's nomination.

"After I put so much into it last year, I was thinking about how the issues have not gone away," said Mallet, who owns a promotional marketing company. "They're still out there in terms of government spending, and really the cost of living here and the fact that folks don't have a lot of faith in their elected officials."

Freeholder Barbara McMorrow, left, stands with fellow Democrats, candidates Amy Mallet and Glen Mason.

In Monmouth County, registered Democrats now lead Republicans by 10,000 voters, according to the County Board of Elections’ registration report, which positions the shore county once again for a likely battle come November.

And finally it’s a battle at the county level, where gleeful Democrats see an opportunity to gain control of this traditionally GOP stronghold.

But while the Democrats want to use those Board of Elections numbers to trampoline their pair of Freeholder candidates onto the board to at last seize the majority, GOP leadership feels confident that a John McCain presidential candidacy will play to their party’s root strength here.

"Obviously a vast majority of voters are overwhelmingly unaffiliated in a county that leans Republican," said state Sen. Sean Kean (R-Monmouth), a longtime McCain supporter.

Holmdel Mayor Serena DiMasoMonmouth County Republicans face an important decision at their convention on Wednesday night. In danger of losing control of the Board of Chosen Freeholders, GOP committee people have to decide whether Holmdel Mayor Serena DiMaso or Red Bank Councilman John Curley is the candidate who can win in November.

The Republicans have watched their rivals chip into their turf over the last two election cycles. Democrats edged one seat closer to seizing a majority in 2007 with John D'Amico's win.

There are two open seats this year, but Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, also a Republican, has the advantage of incumbency, meaning either DiMaso or Curley also needs to win to keep the GOP majority.

In advance of his party’s convention on March 26, State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Morris)Monmouth County GOP Chairman Adam Puharic today said he no longer has reservations about state Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Morris).

"I spoke with Joe Pennacchio, we had a real long talk, and I am growing more comfortable with Monmouth County Republicans getting behind his candidacy for U.S. Senate," said Puharic.

Following the departure from the Senate race of millionaire Anne Evans Estabrook, the Monmouth County Republican chairman called for a meeting of county party chairs to discuss strategy.

Puharic had hoped a key ally, Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth), would get in the race, but Kyrillos decided against running.

Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Victor ScudieryATLANTIC HIGHLANDS - Just one day after the 2007 general election, Monmouth County GOP Chairman Adam Puharic posted the results on his party’s website and noted gleefully that the Republicans had sumo tossed the Democrats out of the circle in every non-municipal contest - with the exception of one: a freeholder match between Democrat John D'Amico and Republican Jeffrey Cantor.

At that point, D'Amico-Cantor was undecided, and Puharic mused about the possibility of humiliating the Democrats with a shutout. But post provisional and absentee ballots, D'Amico squeaked out a victory and became the second Democrat in as many years to win a seat on the Monmouth County Freeholder Board, in a traditionally Republican stronghold.

Freeholder Barbara McMorrow, left, stands with fellow Democrats, candidates Amy Mallet and Glen Mason. 

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS - Monmouth County Democrats today backed Fair Haven businesswoman Amy Mallet and retired Hazlet police detective Glen Mason to run for two seats on the freeholder board.

Anxious for a majority after they picked up two seats in the last two years -- Republicans now have a 3-2 edge -- the Democrats unveiled Mallet and Mason as "change" candidates.

"We're one seat away from a majority," said Mallet. "With you're help, we are going for a super-majority."