| Written and distributed since 2003 by Donald Katz, Esq., Republican State Committeeman for Middlesex County and Counsel, Middlesex County Republican Organization REPUBLICAN WOMEN RUN ANNUAL REAGAN DAY EVENT ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND. ARE YOU COMING? The Middlesex County Republican Women’s Club is holding its annual Reagan Day on Sunday, February 22nd, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Drive, Monroe Township. The cost, in advance, is $75.00 per person or $700.00 for a table of 10. If there is still space available, there will be a higher price if you pay at the door. This is a fun event, with great speakers, a silent auction, a guess the jelly bean contest, Reagan memorabilia, sponsorship opportunities, etc. The MCRWC is also inviting all the US Senate and 6th and 12th CD Congressional candidates to sponsor and speak at the event. The MCRWC will also honor the winner of the Susan J. Tisiker Memorial Award for Exemplary Service. (As many of you know, Sue was my late wife, a co-founder, and long-time President of the MCRWC.) This Women’s Club event is so popular that it has been sold out on several occasions, and it has outgrown its first and second locations. The tickets are going fast. Therefore, if you want to attend and not risk being shut out of the event, buy your tickets as soon as possible online at: https://tinyurl.com/reaganday26, or send your check, payable to MCRWC, to PO Box 5374, Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857. This is the Women’s Club’s primary fundraising event of the year. Over the years, they have donated tens of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates in Middlesex County and run and funded an annual Campaign School, which has benefited active Republicans, candidates, and organizations from throughout Middlesex County. You can help them continue these and other activities by attending this event and getting others to attend. Detailed information is outlined in the Calendar, below. POLITICAL TRIVIA: Here are some political trivia questions. I hope you enjoy them. The answers are below, immediately above the calendar: 1. Andrew Johnson was the first U.S. Vice President to succeed to the presidency during his term. True or False? 2. Who was the first First Lady to be recorded on film? 3. Which animals did James Buchanan keep as pets in Pennsylvania? 4. Lyndon Johnson named one of his dogs after the person in what role? 5. Which First Lady acted on Broadway? 6. Who was the first President to visit Europe while in office? 7. Which President was the first to represent the Democratic Party? NEW NJGOP CHAIR, MIDDLESEX ON THE WINNING SIDE There was a recent election for a new Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee (as well as for a new Vice Chair). It was a contested election among 4 candidates, with 3 of the 4 getting votes from the 42 members of the NJGOP. The vote was Christine Hanlon 26, Rosemary Becchi 15, and Steve Lonegan 1, with Michael Currie not receiving any votes. Chris is the Monmouth County Clerk, recently reelected to her 3rd term, and co-chair of the Monmouth County Republican Committee. She previously served as a Board of Elections Commissioner and as the State Committeewoman from Monmouth County. Both April Bengivenga and I (Donald Katz) supported and voted for both Chris and Pavel, and our MCRO Chair, Rob Bengivenga, also supported Chris. A letter from me, endorsing Chris, was on every table at the State Committee election meeting, with the only other campaign literature at the meeting being I piece each from Christine Hanlon and from Rosemary Becchi. For vice chair, Pavel Sokolov, State Committeeman from Hudson County, won with 30 votes over Brian Johdos, State Committeeman from Union County, with 12 votes. SPEAKER OFFER Paul Danielczyk, President of the NJ Conservative GOP’s newest presentation is, “Why we lost in the 2025 election, and how not to have it happen this year!” if you would like him to speak to your group and hear his analysis of last year’s election, contact him at 848-248-0172 or email njcgop@aol.com. CONDOLENCES…. Deepest condolences to the family of Janet Brown of Edison. Janet and her late husband were both long-time Edison GOP committee people, and Janet was the long-time Secretary of the Edison GOP. Bob and Janet were faithful long-time attendees and GOP fundraisers around the county. Bob had also been a Commissioner of the Middlesex County Board of Elections and held various other GOP positions ANSWERS TO POLITICAL TRIVIA: 1. False. When Andrew Johnson succeeded Abraham Lincoln in 1865, he was the third Vice President to ascend to the office upon the death of his predecessor. 2. Julia Grant. During the tomb dedication of President Ulysses S. Grant in New York in 1897, an early Edison “moving picture” was there to capture the event on film. Grant’s wife, Julia, attended the event, making it the first known recording of a First Lady. The movie of the dedication was shown in nickelodeons and theaters at the time but is unfortunately now considered to be lost. 3. Eagles. During James Buchanan’s presidency, a friend who lived in San Francisco gave him the very patriotic gift of two eagles. Unsurprisingly, the eagles weren’t a great fit for life in the White House, so Buchanan sent them to his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The eagles had cages on the back porch of the house, and would venture out each day before returning at night. 4. FBI Director. (He called the dog “J. Edgar” or “ Edgar” after J. Edgar Hoover. 5. Nancy Reagan. Like her husband,Ronald Reagan — who served as president of the Screen Actors Guild before serving as President of the United States — former First Lady Nancy Reagan enjoyed a successful acting career before moving into the White House in 1981. After earning a degree in drama from Smith College in 1943, she made her Broadway debut in the 1946 musical “Lute Song,” featuring Yul Brynner and Mary Martin. 6. Woodrow Wilson. Wilson became the first sitting president to visit Europe when he sailed to France in December 1918 for a World War I peace conference. He spent the next six months going back and forth to champion his idea for a League of Nations. Wilson traveled via the S.S. George Washington, which took nine days to cross the ocean before entering Brest harbor. 7. Andrew Jackson. 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. February 6 (Friday) – Date by which names, addresses, e-mail addresses and phone numbers of proposed bonus voters to be placed on the MCRO Screening Committee are to be submitted to MCRO Chairman Robert Bengivenga, Jr., so that, pursuant to the MCRO by-laws, he may select the “bonus votes … based upon the recommendations from the affected Municipal Committee.” February 6 (Friday) – Deadline by which people who want to be delegates to the MCRO Candidate Nominating Convention must be registered Republicans February 18 (Wednesday) – Deadline by which candidates for all offices above the municipal level must notify the MCRO Chairman Robert Bengivenga, Jr. in writing of their candidacy and to obtain a candidate questionnaire. February 21 (Saturday 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm) – Registration forms and fees for MCRO Candidate Nominating Convention delegates are to be turned in to the Registration Committee. Location: 499 Plainfield Avenue, 2nd Floor, Edison. February 21 (Saturday 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm) – Fire District Elections (In those municipalities with Fire Districts) February 22 (Sunday 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm) – Middlesex County Republican Women’s Club Annual Reagan Day Event. Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Drive, Monroe Township. $75 each or $700 for a table of 10, in advance. Mail a check payable to MCRWC and send to PO Box 5274, Old Bridge, NJ 08857, or purchase tickets on line at https://tinyurl.com/reaganday26. February 23 (Monday) – Deadline for candidates to return their completed candidate questionnaires to the MCRO Chairman so that copies may be distributed to the MCRO Screening Committee members. February 25 (Wednesday 5:45 pm Doors Open, 6:00 pm Start) – MCRO Screening Committee Meeting. Location: Grace Reformed Church Hall, 2815 Woodbridge Avenue, Edison. February 28 (Saturday 2:00 pm) – MCRO Credentials Committee convenes to hear any appeals of MCRO Candidate Nominating Convention delegate eligibility determinations. Location: To be determined. (Anyone ruled ineligible must bring written proof from the Middlesex County Board of Elections that he or she was a registered Republican voter in Middlesex County as of February 6). March 14 (Saturday, Registration 8:30 am – 10:00 am, Start 10:00 am) – Middlesex County Republican Organization Nominating Convention. George Bush Senior Center, Old Bridge Municipal Complex, Route 516 and Cottrell Road, Old Bridge. March 28 (Saturday 6:30 pm – ) – South River Republican Red & White Victory Ball. Portuguese Fisherman, 11 Jackson Street, South River. Reception/Dinner/Dancing. $90 per person. Checks payable to South River Republican Organization to be mailed to P.O. Box 373, South River, NJ 08882. Questions call 848-448-0423 or email hutchisonteresa@msm.com. 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
