| Written and distributed since 2003 by Donald Katz, Esq., Republican State Committeeman for Middlesex County and Counsel, Middlesex County Republican Organization NEW JERSEY REPUBLICAN STATE COMMITTEE’S STATEWIDE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT IS ON SEPTEMBER 18 AND 19 IN ATLANTIC CITY. ARE YOU GOING? The New Jersey Republican State Committee (“NJGOP”) is holding its annual Statewide Leadership Summit in Atlantic City at the Resorts Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19. Registration on Friday starts at 11:00 am with panel and training sessions starting at 1:00 pm, and, on Saturday, registration and breakfast both start at 8:00 am (if you have not already registered on Friday), with panels and training sessions starting at 9:30 am. Friday will end with the Woman of the Year Dinner starting at 7:00 pm and Saturday will end with the Summit Luncheon which is scheduled to run from 12:30 to 2:00 pm. Sean Spicer, former White House Press Secretary will be the Keynote Speaker. There are many panel and training sessions and the following are just a few of them: Data-Driven Voter Contact & Numinar, AI in Political Campaigns, Winning with Vote By Mail, Protect the Vote: Election Integrity, Fireside Chat with Republican campaign leaders, etc. There will also be interesting vendor and other tables of interest, set up and available for you during the length of the Summit. This year, I will be running an “Ask an Election Attorney/Board of Elections Commissioner” table, where any summit attendee can ask for information and suggestions on any election/political related topic. Over the years, I have chaired or been on the panel of many summit training sessions. If you are interested in more information, go to njgop.org to get information and to register. Discounted hotel reservations are available, while they last, to summit registrants. The panels and training sessions can help you improve your chances of winning elections and learn about policy and issues, and you will also be able to speak with other Republicans from all over the state. Don’t miss this interesting and exciting opportunity! POLITICAL TRIVIA: Here are some political trivia questions. I hope you enjoy them. The answers are below, immediately above the calendar: 1. Who was the first Pennsylvania born President? 2. What one state did Ronald Reagan not win in the 1984 presidential election? 3. In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt ran again for US President and lost, as a member of what party? 4. After the War of 1812, Thomas Jefferson sold his collection of what to Congress? 5. Mark Twain gave a campaign speech for what US President? 6. What do Presidents Herbert Hoover and Ronald Reagan have in common? (Saying they were both Republicans doesn’t’ count.) 7. Which US President had the most pets in the White House while in office? DON’T FORGET, THE MCRO CAMPAIGN KICKOFF 250TH CELEBRATION FUNDRAISER IS ON SEPTEMBER 15TH. PLEASE COME SO THAT THE MCRO CAN HELP OUR CANDIDATES! GOP COUNTY COMMITTEE CAN COME AT A DISCOUNTED RATE As previously reported, the Middlesex County Republican Organization will be holding a Campaign Kickoff Dinner/Reception 250th Celebration on Tuesday, September 15th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Drive, Monroe Township. We will be celebrating the country’s 250th birthday. There will be a buffet dinner, cash bar and entertainment. The tickets are $200.00 per person, but tickets for GOP county committee members are a discounted rate of $70.00 each. If your local Municipal GOP organization or club puts together a table of 10, they can be a table sponsor and the cost is only $650.00, (which, of course, works out to be $65.00 per person if the organization or club splits the cost.) Please come and help the Middlesex County Republican Organization so it can help our candidates. Write and mail checks to: Middlesex County Republican Organization, P.O. Box 6953, 614 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick, New Jersey 08816. For RSVP, registration and sponsorship information please email: chair@middlesexgopnj.org. Or, if you prefer, you can pay online at: https://secure.winred.com/middlesex-county-republican-organization/mcrocampaignkickoff2026 VOTE BY MAIL AND PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND PROPOSED POSTAL SERVICE REGULATIONS I have received several questions regarding how President Trump’s executive orders and the US Postal Service’s proposed regulations regarding Vote By Mail (“VBM”) ballots here in New Jersey for this upcoming election. Although no one can know for sure, in my opinion, I don’t think anything is going to change for this upcoming election. With the various lawsuits and the timing – some states have already begun sending out VBM ballots and, I believe about 16 states will have already starting sending out VBM ballot by the time NJ starts mailing them – there will be no way to change the process in time. My recommendation would proceed with your VBM program based on NJ law as it is now. I expect everybody on the permanent VBM ballot list will get their ballots within a week or so after the first ones are mailed out on Saturday, Sept. 19th. I would encourage you to prepare to start calling or knocking on the doors of the Republican VBM ballot voters as soon as the ballots start to hit their mailboxes, to urge them to complete them and get them right back. My preference would be for them to use the drop boxes, but mail is okay, if necessary. LOOKING FOR ATTORNEYS TO VOLUNTEER ON ELECTION DAY As previously reported, we would like to place attorneys at various critical locations on Election Day, so that there will be someone available at the other end of the phone line at all times to answer your Election Day questions, at the courthouse to represent the Republican Party in Election Day matters, monitor polling locations in potentially problem areas, etc. Although election law experience is a plus, it is not necessary – we will train them, either by their attendance at a challenger training session which will be held prior to the November election, or otherwise. If you know any attorneys who would be willing to volunteer, please have them personally contact Vince Le Blon, via e-mail at vinczl@aol.com or 732-343-0277 our lead attorney for Election Day, who will run the attorney operation this election, while I am handling my duties at the Board of Elections. (Of course, prior to Election Day, you can always contact me directly if you have an election law question.) Anyone who offers to be a volunteer attorney on Election Day should be sure to include both his or her e-mail address and his or her cell phone number and he or she should also let Vince know his or her time availability on Election Day. (Although all day availability would be preferable, if the attorney can volunteer a block of time of 4 hours or more, it would be acceptable.) ANSWERS TO POLITICAL TRIVIA: 1. Jame Buchanan was born in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania in 1791. 2. Reagan won two landslide presidential elections, taking 44 states in 1980 against Jimmy Carter, and 49 states in 1984 against Walter Mondale. The only state to reject Reagan both times was Minnesota, Walter Mondale’s home state. 3. Officially, the Progressive Party, but more commonly called the Bull Moose Party. 4. Books. During the War of 1812, British forces burned the Capitol and the library of 3,000 books inside of it. Thomas Jefferson offered to sell his library to the government to help recoup the loss, and in 1815, Congress purchased the former President’s collection of 6,487 books for $23,950. In 1851, two-thirds of the collection was burned a fire, but today, the remaining books are part of the Library of Congress. 5. Rutherford B. Hayes. Mark Twain was a fan of President Ulysses S. Grant, but didn’t get active in politics until Rutherford B. Hayes’ presidential campaign in 1876. Twain’s speech in support of Hayes was published in full on the front page of “The New York Times” under the heading “Mark Twain in Politics.” 6. They were both left-handed. 7. Calvin Coolidge practically ran a petting zoo out of the White House. The 30th President kept no fewer than 29 pets during his tenure on Pennsylvania Avenue. There were normal pets in large numbers, but there were some strange ones, too. Among them: a goose named Enoch, a mockingbird, Rebecca and Reuben the raccoons, Ebenezer the donkey, and Smoky the bobcat. 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. September 15 (Tuesday 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm) – Middlesex County Republican Organization Campaign Kickoff 2026 250th Celebration. Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Drive, Monroe Township. Buffet Dinner, Cash Bar & Entertainment. $200 per person, County Committee at a reduced rate of $70. Municipal/Local GOP Club Table Sponsor $650 for a table of 10. Write and mail checks to: Middlesex County Republican Organization, P.O. Box 6953, 614 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick, New Jersey 08816. For RSVP, registration and sponsorship information please email chair@middlesexgopnj.org. Or, if you prefer, you can pay online at: https://secure.winred.com/middlesex-county-republican-organization/mcrocampaignkickoff2026 September 16 (Wednesday 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm) – Middlesex Borough GOP Campaign & Cigar Night Fundraiser. Ellery’s Pub & Grill, 701 Lincoln Boulevard, Middlesex. $65.00 per person or $200.00 for tables of 4. The price includes 3 premium cigars, food, beer and wine. Checks payable to Michael Conahan for Council or Kevin Dotey for Council and mailed to: BMRO, PO Box 324, Middlesex, NJ 08846. Questions? Middlesexrepublicancandidates#gmail.com or call 908-625-8731 to make reservations and pay the night of the event. September 17 (Thursday 7:00 pm) – Women for Gregg Mele (for Congress CD 12) Launch Event. American Legion Post #401, 148 Major Road, Monmouth Junction (South Brunswick). September 18-19 (Friday-Saturday) – NJGOP Summit. Resorts, Atlantic City. September 19 (Saturday) – Statutory date by which the County Clerk is supposed to mail out the first vote-by-mail ballots. September 20 (Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm) – Middlesex County/Piscataway GOP Meet and Greet Picnic. Johnson Park Grove 5, Piscataway, (off River Road in Piscataway). Featuring Senate Nominee Justhin Murphy, Congressional Nominees Gregg Mele CD12 & Hillary Herzig CD 6. $20.00 per person. Psy via Zelle at PwayGOPTreasurer@proton.me or mail check payable to PRO and send Wayne Steele, 260 Dorset Cour, Piscataway, NJ 08854, RSVP at Tinyurl.com/MCSept20, 732-708-5495 or PwayGOP@gmail.com. September 30 (Wednesday 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm) – East Brunswick GOP Fundraiser for Candidates. Avos Ria Mar, 25 Whitehead Avenue, South River. $100 per person, county committee and elected officials $75. RSVP to Suzanne Blum at 732-236-4489 or chair@eastbrunswickrepublicans.org. Checks payable to Le Blon Vazirani Abdo for Council should be mailed to 21 Bunker Hill Run, East Brunswick, NJ 08816. October 5 (Monday 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm) – Sayreville GOP Town Hall, American Legion, 240 Macarthur Avenue, Sayreville. Meet the Candidates: Justin Murphy, US Senate Candidate, John Zebrowski and Michael Colaci, Sayreville Council Candidates. October 8 (Thursday) – US Senate Debate between Justin Murphy and Cory Booker. (Sponsored by Rider University and the N.J. Globe – to be streamed online.) October 13 (Tuesday) – Last day to register to vote in the General Election. October 13 (Tuesday) – Deadline for filing your list of Election Day challengers for the General Election with the Board of Elections. (Middlesex County Board of Elections, 26-B Kennedy Boulevard, East Brunswick, New Jersey 08816) October 13 (Tuesday 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm) – Middlesex County Republican Women’s Club Meeting, East Brunswick Library, 2 Civic Center Drive, (off Ryder’s Lane), East Brunswick. October 24 (Saturday) – November 1 (Sunday) – Early Voting Period (Any voter registered in Middlesex County can vote at any of the 10 Early Voting Sites in Middlesex County.) October 27 (Tuesday) – Last day for vote-by-mail ballot applications to be received by the County Clerk by mail in order to vote in the General Election. (Middlesex County Clerk, P.O. Box 1110, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-1110). November 2 (Monday 3:00 pm) – Last day to apply for a mail-in 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 General Election. November 3 (Tuesday 6:00 am – 8:00 pm) – General Election November 10 (Tuesday 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm) – Middlesex County Republican Women’s Club Meeting, East Brunswick Library, 2 Civic Center Drive, (off Ryder’s Lane), East Brunswick. December 8 (Tuesday 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm) – Middlesex County Republican Women’s Club Meeting, East Brunswick Library, 2 Civic Center Drive, (off Ryder’s Lane), East Brunswick. Program includes election of officers. December 12 (Saturday, Departing from North Brunswick by bus at 7:30 am and returning at 3:00 pm) – Middlesex County Republican Women’s Club Holiday Bus Trip to Trump Tower in NYC. $100.00 per person, which includes Bus, Breakfast at the Trump Grill, Taxes and Gratuities. Send checks payable to “MCRWC” and attendee information to P.O. Box 5274, Old Bridge, NJ 08857 or pay online at https://sbgop.wufoo.com/forms/mcrwc-america-250-bus-trip-to-trump-tower 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 bottom 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 © 2026 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
