Rebecca Perkins

MANVILLE - In a contest for Somerset County Democratic Party chair, Peg Schaffer winsPeg Schaffer of Bedminister prevailed over former county freeholder Michael Ceponis at the VFW Hall tonight.

The pair had matched up against each other after Rebecca Perkins of Warren dropped out and endorsed Ceponis.

Schaffer, who won 185 votes to Ceponis's 132 on first ballot, had received the support of retiring chair Elia Pelios.

MANVILLE - In this three-person race for Democratic Party chair in Rebecca PerkinsSomerset, Rebecca Perkins has just thrown her support to former Freeholder Michael Ceponis.

She backed him in her speech and withdrew before the first ballot.

Now it's a contest in the VFW Hall between Ceponis and Peg Schaffer of Bedminister.

Schaffer is the candidate backed by retiring Chair Elia Pelios.

Three Somerset County Democrats hope to succeed outgoing Chairman Elia Pelios tomorrow.

Peg Schaffer, Mike Ceponis and Rebecca Perkins all hope to reinvigorate the party, which has struggled over the last couple decades to overcome complete Republican domination.

Schaffer, who’s backed by Pelios, appears to be the favorite, with state Democratic sources saying they expect her to be the next chairwoman.  But her opponents have used that against her, saying that electing her to the top position will essentially be a continuation of the last 10 years under Pelios.

Insiders say that there are three leading candidates for Somerset County Democratic Chairman: Michael Ceponis, who was the last Democrat to win election to the Somerset County Board of Freeholders (Christie Whitman unseated him in 1982); former Warren Township Board of Education Rebecca Perkins, who ran a close race for Freeholder in 1999; and Margaret Schaffer, the Bedminster Democratic Municipal Chair.  The incumbent, Elia Pelios, is not seeking re-election.