| Written and distributed since 2003 by Donald Katz, Esq., Republican State Committeeman for Middlesex County and Counsel, Middlesex County Republican Organization THE MIDDLESEX COUNTY COMMITTEE WILL BE HOLDING A MEETING ON THURSDAY, JUNE 12TH AT FORSGATE COUNTRY CLUB IN MONROE. ALL COUNTY COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOULD ATTEND The following is a copy of the official notice of the meeting. If you know of any county committee members who may not have received the notice please let them know: Middlesex County Republican Organization P.O. Box 6953 614 Cranbury Rd, East Brunswick NJ 08816 TO: All Middlesex County Committee Members FROM: Robert Bengivenga Jr, MCRO Chairman SUBJECT: Middlesex County Republican Organization Meeting to Amend Bylaws and to Elect/Re-Elect our State Committeeman and State Committeewoman DATE: May 31, 2025 A recent change in the New Jersey election law provides that members of the State Committee will no longer be elected in the primary election but will instead be elected by the members of the County Committee. The County Committee, therefore, must meet to amend our bylaws to comply with this law change and to then elect or re-elect our State Committeeman and State Committeewoman. Accordingly, this is to notify you that a meeting of the members of the Middlesex County Republican Organization will be held at Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Drive, Monroe Township, on Thursday, June 12, 2025, with registration starting at 7:00 pm and the meeting starting at 7:30 pm. Only current GOP County Committee members from Middlesex County will be able to participate in this meeting. All County Committee members should bring photo IDs. We will first vote to adopt an appropriate amendment to our bylaws. (Note: a copy of the proposed bylaw amendment is attached to the notice e-mailed or mailed directly to the county committee members.) After adopting the bylaws amendment, we will then take votes to elect/re-elect our Republican State Committeeman and Republican State Committeewoman to represent Middlesex County on the New Jersey Republican State Committee for the next four years. I have been advised that both of our current State Committee members, Donald Katz and April Bengivenga, intend to seek re-election. Looking forward to seeing you on the 12th. Regards, Rob EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING IS FROM TUESDAY, JUNE 3 THROUGH SUNDAY, JUNE 8 AND ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY, JUNE 10: MCRO AND LOCAL ORGANIZATION CANDIDATE SELECTIONS You can vote early in the Primary Election at any one of the 10 Early voting sites on Tuesday through Saturday, June 3-7, from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, and on Sunday, June 8, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and on Election Day from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. Just a reminder. There are only 4 contested races in the Republican Party in Middlesex County. All registered Republicans in the county will have a choice as to which Republican they want to be the Republican nominee for Governor of New Jersey. The Middlesex County Republican Organization in the Screening Committee almost unanimously endorsed Jack Ciatarelli and unanimously endorsed him at the Nominating Convention. He is running under the slogan: “Endorsed by Middlesex County Republican Organization.” The other three Republican contested races are for Old Bridge Ward Council seats in Wards 3, 4, and 5. The local Old Bridge Republican Organization (its Municipal Committee) is supporting John Reilly for Old Bridge Ward 3 Councilman, Gina Talamo for Old Bridge Ward 4 Councilwoman, and Carl Von Stetten for Old Bridge Ward 6 Councilman. All three are running under the slogan: “Old Bridge Republican Organization Endorsed Candidate”, as are all three incumbent Republican Ward Councilmen, who are running unopposed in the Republican primary. POLITICAL TRIVIA: Here are some political trivia questions. I hope you enjoy them. The answers are below, immediately above the calendar: 1. Millard Filmore was the first U.S. President born in New York. True or False? 2. Which sweet treat was Abraham Lincoln’s favorite? 3. Which U.S. President’s poor eyesight prevented him from attending West Point? 4. Which U.S. President was on the rowing team at Harvard University? 5. Which musical U.S. President played several instruments as a child? 6. Which U.S. President was born with the last name Blythe? 7. First Lady Claudia Johnson went by what nickname? COUNTY COMMITTEE MEMBERS: RE-ELECT DON KATZ (ME!) GOP STATE COMMITTEEMAN ON JUNE 12 * Republican Party Service for over 61 continuous years in Middlesex County, (starting when he was just 16), in numerous positions, including Municipal Party Chairman or other party offices in four towns; campaign manager for municipal, legislative and congressional campaigns; over 50 years as a Republican Committeeman, special or general counsel over the years to more than twenty Republican Municipal Committees and Clubs, with current service as the longest serving State Committeeman on the New Jersey Republican State Committee, (since 1992), and as Counsel for the Middlesex County Republican Organization for 35+ years. * Don has been there to help, over many years, whenever County Republicans at any level needed the help. Whether it has been helping a local organization, chairman or candidate with his or her nominating petitions, training their committee people or election day challengers, writing and distributing the “Middlesex County Republican County Committee Handbook” (which is now in its 11th Edition), attending local fund raisers, or handling the odd election law problem, attending their functions, answering their questions or solving their problems, Don has been there. Most of you have received, and benefited from, the periodic e-mail newsletters he has sent out to Republicans throughout Middlesex County. Don’s help at the county level speaks for itself, when seven GOP County Chairman, over the years, have trusted and acknowledged Don’s service, expertise, experience and judgment by appointing him to serve as Counsel to the County GOP Organization. *Don has: 1. Provided reports at all County Chairman’s Meetings about what is going on at the state level which might be of interest or use to Middlesex County. 2. Provided periodic detailed written reports, letters or e-mails to Republican municipal chairmen and other Republican leaders with relevant or interesting State GOP information, which has now become the “Middlesex County GOP Update” e-mail newsletter, which he has written and e-mailed on a regular basis since 2003. 3. Attended virtually every State Committee meeting held since he was first elected. Don has the best attendance record of all of the members of the State Committee, barring none, since he feels that it is important that Middlesex County is represented. 4. Lobbied the State GOP for monetary and other support for Middlesex County Republicans. 5. Notwithstanding the fact that the state committee positions are unpaid, with no expense reimbursements, Don has attended numerous local GOP organization and club functions whenever he could. In fact, a number of former long-time GOP municipal chairmen, who were around when there were other state committee people, commented that Don was the first state committee person who had ever attended any of their functions. COUNTY COMMITTEE MEMBERS: RE-ELECT APRIL BENGIVENGA GOP STATE COMMITTEEWOMAN ON JUNE 12 April Bengivenga has served on the New Jersey State Republican State Committee since 2014. She has held the office of treasurer for the State Committee from 2017-2020. April has attended every State Committee fundraiser since 2014. She has attended all State Committee meetings since 2014, except for one. April has volunteered at the NJGOP annual summit in Atlantic City. April has served in the Republican party since 2005. Her first position was serving as Treasurer of the South Plainfield Republican Organization followed by becoming Chair in 2009. She is serving her 16th year as chair. South Plainfield was a 7-0 democratic controlled council for twelve years, under April’s leadership in 2010 South Plainfield took majority with 4 council seats and electing the first Republican mayor in 20 years. In 2015 South Plainfield became the Republican majority 7-0 and has held it ever since. April has been a candidate for State Assembly. However, not winning the legislative district, April did win her hometown by a big margin. She has also advised other Middlesex County organizations on how to run successful campaigns. April has been successful in raising funds for campaigns. Over her tenure as South Plainfield Chair the organization raised over $800,000. She also served as fundraising chair for 2013 assembly candidates raising over $90,000. ANSWERS TO POLITICAL TRIVIA: 1. False. Martin Van Buren was the first President to hail from the state of New York. He was born in the village of Kinderhook on December 5, 1782. Van Buren was also the first President born a U.S. citizen. Millard Fillmore was also born in New York, in the town of Summer Hill, 18 years later in 1800. 2. Gingerbread Men. Throughout his life, Lincoln was known for his sparse eating habits. He wasn’t picky, but he also didn’t eat too much, and seemed to largely stick to healthy foods. (He apparently ate a lot of apples.) Though Lincoln wasn’t known to indulge in much snacking, he did go on the record as really loving gingerbread men. 3. Harry Truman. Truman was born with poor eyesight and needed glasses. After graduating from high school, he wanted to attend West Point, but his subpar vision prevented his commission. Eventually, he joined the National Guard ad fought in World War I. 4. Theodore Roosevelt. During his years at Harvard, he competed in boxing, wrestling and rowing. 5. Richard Nixon. As a child, Nixon played the violin, clarinet, saxophone, piano and accordion. Though he didn’t continue down a musical path as he got older, Nixon still played occasionally, tickling the ivories at the White House and even playing a song he wrote in 1963 on “The Jack Parr Show”. 6. Bill Clinton was born with the full name William Jefferson Blythe III. He was named after his father who was killed in a car accident just three months before he was born. His mother remarried car salesman Roger Clinton and a few years later Bill legally took his stepfather’s last name. 7. Lady Bird Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson. UPDATED CALENDAR What follows is an updated calendar. If you have any municipal or countywide fundraisers or functions you would like me to include in my e-mail calendar from time to time, please contact me at dkatzlaw@aol.com. Please note that organizations and campaigns sometimes provide added information, change dates, or cancel events, which I include in this calendar if I receive the information in time. Therefore, if you plan to attend an event, please make sure you review the calendar listing in my latest e-mail and, to the extent you may not have pre-registered for the particular event so the sponsoring group will be able to contact you about any changes, you may want to check with the sponsoring group before you go to make sure the information has not changed. Also, please be aware that these e-mails are not official MCRO notices or mailings, they are just something I do, voluntarily, to help our Republican Party. June 2 (Monday 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm) – Assembly District 14 Kickoff. Delorenzo’s Tomato Pies & Restaurant, 147 Sloan Avenue, Hamilton. $50.00 per person. Guest Speaker: Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio. Checks payable to Friends of Marty Flynn, 106 Monte Carlo Drive, Hamilton, NJ 08691. June 3 (Tuesday) – Last day for vote-by-mail ballot applications to be received by the County Clerk by mail, in order to vote in the Primary Election. (Middlesex County Clerk, P.O. Box 1110, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1110). June 3 (Tuesday) – June 8 (Sunday) – Primary Election Early Voting Period (Note, this time period is longer than previously noted, due to a recently adopted law.) June 9 (Monday 3:00 pm) – Last day to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot in person (or by authorized messenger) at the County Clerk’s office (26-C Kennedy Boulevard, East Brunswick, New Jersey), in order to vote in the Primary Election. June 10 (Tuesday) – Primary Election June 12 (Thursday, Registration 7:00, Start 7:30 pm -) – Middlesex County Republican Organization meeting for all county committee members, Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Drive, Monroe Township. June 14 (Saturday 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm) – Sayreville GOP Backyard BBQ. Across from 277 Johnson Lane, Parlin (Formerly Buddies Tavern). Meet the candidates. (For Sayreville residents, candidates, and invited guests.) July 16 (Wednesday 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm) – “Remembering Rick” (Rosenberg, Jr)” Dinner, Ria Mar Restaurant, 25 Whitehead Avenue, South River. $50.00 per person. Includes Buffet and Open Bar. To benefit the Rick Rosenberg, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund set up in his honor at Rowan University. Rick was born and raised in South River and was an excellent campaign consultant who helped South River and other Middlesex County Republicans, often for free or for a small charge, who had an untimely death at a young age. RSVP to Monica Rosenberg at MMRBUG98@aol.com or 732-406-5013. Checks payable to Rick Rosenberg, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund should be mailed to Monica Rosenberg, 125 Brian Oaks Trail, Conway, SC 29527. Please forward this information to any Middlesex County Republican, or other individuals, who you think might be interested in seeing it, but, before you forward it, make sure you delete the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of this e-mail, otherwise one of the people you forward it to may unsubscribe you and the program will not let me add you back to my mailing list. Further, if you know of any Middlesex County Republicans who would like to receive periodic reports about Republican-related information I believe might be interesting or useful, please have them send me, Donald Katz, an e-mail to dkatzlaw@aol.com, and I will add them to my e-mail list. By the same token, if you ever wish to be removed from my e-mail list, click “unsubscribe” at the foot of this e-mail. Donald Katz, Esq. Republican State Committeeman – Middlesex County and Counsel, Middlesex County Republican Organization dkatzlaw@aol.com 119 Leeds Lane Monroe Township, NJ 08831 (C) 908-227-9239 Copyright © 2025 Donald Katz, All rights reserved, except forwarding of entire newsletter to Republicans is permitted and encouraged and excerpts may be used for non-commercial purposes provided the excerpts are attributed to Donald Katz |
MIDDLESEX COUNTY GOP UPDATE
