HOWELL – The upcoming June 4 local primary election is already becoming a political rollercoaster. With the impending end of Mayor Theresa Berger’s second term, the race to succeed her appears marked by controversy and concerns over the fairness of the electoral process.
On one side of the aisle, Democrat candidate Matthew Filosa stands unopposed, virtually guaranteed a spot on the General Election ballot. However, it’s the Republican field where the real drama continues to emerge, with three candidates poised to battle it out for the mayoral seat.
Sitting council member Fred Gasior and Deputy Mayor Ian Nadel, alongside John Leggio, a member of the Howell Planning Board, form the trio of contenders vying for the Republican nomination. Part of the unfolding dynamics of the contest mirrors concerns voiced by Democrats in a lawsuit advocating for a fairer ballot system.
New Jersey’s electoral system uniquely grants preferential ballot treatment to candidates endorsed by county political organizations, traditionally placing them in the same line or row. Nevertheless, Leggio bypassed the screening process with the local Republican organization, opting instead to file the necessary petitions for inclusion on the Republican primary ballot.
When Thomas Russo resigned as Deputy Mayor in 2021, Leggio was among three Republican candidates presented to the council as potential replacements. Given Russo’s Republican affiliation, the GOP held control over the seat.
The first step was to afford the four remaining council members the opportunity to vote – with hopes that Democrats Theresa Berger and John Bonevich, as well as Republicans Evelyn O’Donnell and Pamela Richmond, could agree on the selection. However, none of the candidates received a majority vote.
“The Committee picked Sue Brennan to go to the top of the ticket back then,” said Leggio. “So that was the only name Pam Richmond and Evelyn O’Donnell said they would vote for.”
“After the Democrats voted against Brennan, they asked why the two Republicans weren’t picking one of the other two names,” Leggio continued. “And when they couldn’t get an answer, Bonevich nominated me, and he and Berger voted for me. It was a 2-2 tie again.”
Ultimately, the Howell Republican Committee addressed the two-time deadlock votes by naming Brennan as Russo’s successor.
Leggio became further disillusioned when the Republican-controlled council failed to reappoint him to the Planning Board. What followed caught Leggio completely off guard.
“Last year, Theresa Berger reached out to me,” Leggio shared. “She said that if I wanted to go back on the Planning Board, she’d appoint me as the mayor’s designee.”
Leggio accepted the mayor’s appointment, knowing it meant crossing party lines. He saw no purpose in screening before the local GOP committee based on his past experience. However, Leggio said he remains staunchly committed to the Republican party.
Battle For The County Line
While Leggio opted not to seek endorsement from the Republican hierarchy, an undisclosed number of candidates submitted letters of intent to vie for the mayoral position and undergo screening by the Howell Republican Committee. The organization is not obligated to disclose its proceedings as a private entity.
Among the candidates who underwent screening for mayor were Gasior and Nadel, both sitting council members who ran on the same ticket in 2022. The process has resulted in ups and downs, indicating that Howell’s Republican-dominated council is sharply divided.
Gasior stated that he began to question the integrity of the party line selection process even before he underwent screening by the local Republican Committee. He even requested the removal of his name from the list of mayoral nomination candidates in an email addressed to Howell Republican Committee Chair Joseph DiBella and Vice President Lara Casper, dated January 17th.
“As time has passed, events have happened, and conversations have been had, I no longer have any faith that the process will be fair, unbiased, and free of outside influence,” wrote Gasior. “Additionally, because of the interjection and ever-growing influence of certain individuals in the local Republican party, I will not support or be involved in the upcoming campaign in any way.”
Gasior declined to disclose the identity of the individual close to the process who informed him that the decision had already been made in favor of Nadel receiving the endorsement. However, his note to DiBella and Casper resulted in a two-hour meeting with DiBella and Monmouth County GOP Chair Shaun Golden – who is also the county sheriff.
“Shaun didn’t say much,” Gasior said. “He was most concerned about what I would do as far as staying on the council.”
During the meeting, Gasior expressed his concerns about avoiding any questionable practices he observed during his council campaign in the upcoming mayoral race. After discussion, the three agreed that Gasior would retract his withdrawal, and it would be up to the Committee to allow him to screen for endorsement. Gasior also committed to supporting whoever received the nomination.
A statement released by the Howell GOP Municipal Committee on March 9 announced their decision to renominate two-term incumbent Councilwoman Evelyn O’Donnell for council and Gasior for mayor as the result of a vote on March 4.
“Ian got up there and made a big speech that he supported me, and it was time for the party to pull together,” shared Gasior. “In the meantime, he put in his own petitions.”
Nadel submitted his petition just over an hour before the March 25 deadline. He couldn’t sign on his own behalf as he’d already endorsed Gasior at the meeting when Gasior received the nomination. However, as Nadel thought about it, he had second thoughts in the weeks that followed the March 4 vote that awarded the nomination to Gasior.
“I still truly felt that I was the best man for the job,” shared Nadel. “That coupled with the pending court decision and a potential ballot change led me to submit the petition.”
“I thought long and hard about it,” Nadel continued. “This is something I truly want to do and work for the town of Howell.”
In the end, despite Gasior receiving the nomination from the local GOP committee, Nadel’s name will appear on the primary ballot with the endorsement of the Monmouth County Republican Organization. Golden did not respond to requests for clarification.
“Councilman Gasior posted a statement on social media, basically a statement admonishing the county line,” said DiBella. “In doing so, he really disavowed the organization and its value in the campaign and organizational perspective. In doing so, he made it clear that he did not see any value in being affiliated with the organization.”
Gasior said that when DiBella told him he would not receive the county endorsement, he said he replied with a request.
“I told him to ask Shaun Golden if he could come up with one instance where I had not supported the county or the County Republican Committee since I had been in office,” said Gasior. “He had no answer. I had even made it clear to Shaun in past conversations that I would always listen to everything he had to say and make decisions based on it.”
The Power Of The Party Line
The practice of “voting the party line” is well-known, with advocates arguing that establishing a line offers voters a selection of screened candidates they can trust. In this year’s Republican primary, Donald J. Trump occupies the top spot on the ballot, and local endorsed municipal candidates are listed below.
Critics argue that the line grants unfair advantages to candidates endorsed by political organizations, especially when the process lacks transparency. Endorsements can be determined through various methods, ranging from county committee votes to decisions made solely by county chairs, who may even override committee choices.
A recent decision by U.S. District Court Judge Zahid Quraishi, stemming from a lawsuit led by Congressman Andy Kim in his United States Senate race, addressed the ballot concern and the advantage certain candidates have due to the county line system. Although other Democrats joined in the litigation, no Republican candidates were involved.
Quraishi mandated county clerks to modify the ballot layout, organizing candidates by the office sought in a randomized order. While slogans may still appear, candidates won’t be grouped alongside others endorsed by political organizations. Since no Republicans were involved in the case brought by Kim, the decision only applies to Democrat candidates.
“The Court’s order is therefore limited to the 2024 Democratic Primary Election only,” ordered Quraishi. “And this Court declines to extend the scope of its decision beyond the limitations of the present litigation,” wrote Quraishi.
Quraishi added that nothing “prevents the Republican Party and its leadership from appreciating this Court’s preliminary injunction and taking steps to amend the ballot system for its primary election similar to what this Court has ordered for the Democratic Primary.”
Only the Burlington County Clerk decided to design office block-style ballots for both parties – a decision that has resulted in a lawsuit brought on behalf of the Burlington County GOP in state court.
Gasior had already secured the nomination from the Howell GOP when he made a Facebook post sharing Quraishi’s decision about the change in the ballot. At the time, he did not know it would only apply to Democrats – or that it could potentially cost him to lose the line himself.
“The County line method of selecting candidates by political bosses has been used and abused by both parties for too long,” wrote Gasior. “Even if a local party conducts a selection process and selects a candidate to run for office, the county chairman can still choose someone different to get preferential ballot position based on cronyism.”
“How fair is that…” Gasior continued. “Not very, and how good is that for the local towns to be governed effectively? County bosses would use this process to control candidates to do their bidding.”
Meanwhile, political party endorsements continue to pose challenges beyond ballot positioning, extending to campaign donations. Elections come with considerable expenses.
Amidst these dynamics, the focus on substantive issues remains crucial. Gasior expressed his desire for a debate where Republican contenders can articulate their plans for Howell, ensuring voters are well-informed. Both Leggio and Nadel have said they welcomed Gasior’s challenge, affirming their readiness to engage in discussions that shed light on their visions for the township.
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