Virginia Haines

N.J. GOP State Chairman Tom Wilson is backing Saul Anuzis, the Michigan GOP State Chairman, for Republican National Chairman.

Michigan Republican State Chairman Saul Anuzis announced the suport of five state GOP chairs this week, including New Jersey's Tom Wilson, in his bid for Republican National Chairman.  The incumbent, Mike Duncan, has not yet said if he will seek re-election to a second term.  Other candidates include: former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, White House OMB Director Jim Nussle, a former Iowa Congressman; Florida GOP State Chairman Jim Greer; and Chip Saltsman, who managed Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign

Joining Wilson in his support of Anuzis are the Republican State Chairmen from Connecticut, Nebraska, Nevada and the Virgin Islands.

There is considerable speculation in Ocean County that Andrew Ciesla, a six-term Republican State Senator from Brick, will not seek re-election in 2011 – and some GOP sources say they wouldn’t be surprised if Ciesla stepped down before the expiration of his current term.  Apparently Ciesla, who turns 55 next week, is burnt out after nearly seventeen years in the Senate.

David Norcross was re-elected to a sixth four-year term as the Republican National Committeeman from New Jersey: Getty Images Photo
The GOP State Committee today voted to re-elect David Norcross and Virginia Haines to the Republican National Committee. They were unopposed. Norcross, a former GOP State Chairman and the 1976 U.S. Senate candidate, has served as a National Committeeman since 1988. Haines, who served as an Assemblywoman and state Lottery Director, won the National Committeewoman seat in 2004, defeating longtime incumbent Judith Stanley.

Ocean County Republicans will hold a screening committee meeting on Saturday morning to meet the candidates for Jim Saxton’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.  In Ocean County, where GOP Chairman George Gilmore rules firmly, an endorsement from the screening committee is almost tantamount to a victory at the open county GOP convention – which will be held on Monday night.

The likely Burlington County candidate, Medford Deputy Mayor and Lockheed Martin Vice President Christopher Myers, plans to screen in Ocean – sources say that former GOP State Chairman David Norcross will not appear before the screening committee, a strong indication that he has decided not to run.  Insiders

The Press of Atlantic City reported today that Ocean County Freeholder Gerry Little will not be a candidate for the GOP nomination for Congress in the third district.  Two other Freeholders, Joseph Vicari and John Kelly, are still considered possible candidates as Ocean County Republicans prepare to pick a candidate this month.  Also in the mix for the Ocean endorsement: Assemblyman Brian Rumpf and Republican National Committeewoman Virginia Haines, a former Assemblywoman and state Lottery Director.

It looks like a primary fight is brewing in the third congressional district.  

While popular Burlington County state Senator Diane Allen continues to be the presumptive favorite for the Republican nomination for retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton’s seat, Ocean County is getting ready to field its own candidate.

George Gilmore, the Ocean County Republican chairman, has called a county committee convention to endorse a presidential candidate and, more importantly, its own congressional candidate.   The meeting is tentatively set for Monday, Dec. 10th.

The field of potential Republican candidates to replace Jim Saxton next year is still large, but a few of the names first floated have removed themselves from consideration.

Republican Jim Saxton won re-election to a 12th term with 58% of the vote in 2006 in a district that George W. Bush carried with 51% in 2004. The open seat could be competitive in 2008. The GOP has a huge field of potential candidates; the Democrats will run State Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman John Adler, who had said in September that he would challenge Saxton.