| Written and distributed since 2003 by Donald Katz, Esq., Republican State Committeeman for Middlesex County and Counsel, Middlesex County Republican Organization STATEMENT FROM ROBERT BENGIVENGA JR.,CHAIRMAN, MIDDLESEX COUNTY REPUBLICAN ORGANIZATION This election was not just a blue wave in New Jersey. It was a blue tsunami. The results are a clear indication of the challenges we face and the work that lies ahead as Republicans. First, I want to sincerely thank every Republican candidate, campaign volunteer, municipal chair, committee member, supporter, and elected official who worked tirelessly throughout this election cycle. I know firsthand the countless hours, sacrifices, phone calls, door knocks, fundraising efforts, and personal commitments that go into running campaigns. Your dedication and commitment to our organization and our communities do not go unnoticed. While the results were certainly not what we had hoped for, elections are a time to reflect, learn, and look toward the future. Now is the time to regroup, rebuild, and come together with a renewed sense of purpose. We must strengthen our municipal organizations, listen to our grassroots supporters, recruit stronger candidates, develop new ideas, and reconnect with voters in every community throughout Middlesex County. Rebuilding will not happen overnight, and it will not happen by waiting until the next election cycle. It starts today, through hard work, communication, collaboration, and a commitment to growing our party at every level. Our commitment to our communities and to the Republican Party remains strong. There is much work to be done, and I am confident that by working together, we can build a stronger organization for the future. The election is over. The work of rebuilding begins today. It is time to come together, refocus, and move forward with determination. Thank you to everyone who stood with us, put in the work, and gave so much of their time and energy. I am grateful for your dedication and continued commitment. POLITICAL TRIVIA: Here are some political trivia questions. I hope you enjoy them. The answers are below, immediately above the calendar: 1. Who won the popular vote and the most electoral votes for US President but lost the presidency in the election of 1824? 2. Horatio Seymour and Horace Greeley both lost US presidential races to whom? 3. What US Vice President killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel? 4. Where was the last major battle of the Revolutionary War? 5. What other founding father did John Adams defeat to win the presidency? 6. Who is the only US President to have twin children? 7. Which US President’s monument includes a statue of his dog Fala? NOW TWICE IN ONE ELECTION CYCLE, THE COUNTY DEMOCRATS AGAIN PROVE THAT “THEY WILL SPARE NO (TAXPAYERS’) EXPENSE” IF THEY FEEL IT WILL GIVE THEM A POLITICAL ADVANTAGE In September, I told you that If you were a registered voter in Middlesex County and were not already on the permanent vote by mail ballot list, you received a letter and a vote by mail ballot application over the signature of the Democrat Middlesex County Clerk, which I estimated consisted of more than 450,000 letters sent out, at the county taxpayers’ expense, which I estimated cost the Middlesex County taxpayers in excess of $225,000.00. (In retrospect, I think it probably cost closer to $300,000.00.) I also explained that the county Democrats did this since more of the registered voters in our county are Democrats rather than Republicans, so it was likely that more of the people who respond to this mailing and sign up to vote by mail will be Dems rather than Republicans. (Even though, on the average, Republicans tend to vote at a higher rate than Democrats, since it is easier to vote by mail, the percentage of people who vote their vote by mail ballot is generally much higher than the percentage of people who vote in person, which helps the Democrats.) Guess what? You subsequently, in the first half of October, probably received another mailing from the Democrat County Clerk, reminding you that you can still apply for a vote by mail ballot – spending probably an additional $225,000.00 to $300,000.00 of taxpayer’s money! We can’t let this continue. We need to get our Republicans who only vote occasionally, perhaps only in a Presidential election every 4 years, to sign up to vote by mail, so they will vote, (and probably vote Republican), more often, or get them to vote in person, either during the early voting period (dates in the calendar below) or on Election Day. ANSWERS TO POLITICAL TRIVIA: 1. Andrew Jackson. In the presidential election of 1824, Andrew Jackson won the most electoral votes and the largest share of the popular vote, but no candidate held a majority. Since the Constitution requires an Electoral College majority, the race was decided by the House of Representatives, with John Quincy Adams as the victor. Jackson became the seventh U.S. President five years later, serving from 1829 to 1837. 2. Ulysses S. Grant. The Civil War hero and Union general was very popular going into his first term in 1869, winning the Electoral College by a margin of nearly 3-to-1 over Democratic candidate Horatio Seymour. Then, in the 1872 election, Grant defeated Horace Greeley by an even larger margin, securing himself a second term. 3. Arron Burr. On July 11, 1804, then-Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shot Alexander Hamilton in Weehawken, New Jersey. 4. Yorktown, Virginia. The Revolutionary War ended on October 19, 1781, when British General Charles Cornwallis and his troops laid down their weapons on a field near Yorktown, Virginia, just two days after their surrender to American General George Washington. 5. Thomas Jefferson. The U.S. presidential election of 1796 pitted current Vice President John Adams against his Democratic-Republican rival, Thomas Jefferson. The VP competed for electoral votes against George Washington’s former secretary of state in what ended up being one of the closest races in American history. Adams took the victory with 71 electoral votes to Jefferson’s 68 to become the second U.S. President. 6. George W. Bush. Fraternal twins Jenna and Barbara Bush are children of one President (George W. Bush) and grandchildren of another (George H.W. Bush). As they shared in a joint memoir published in 2017, they sometimes came under intense scrutiny for doing things that would be considered normal for other people, like drinking in college. However, now they are grown up and have built successful careers — Jenna is an author and TV news journalist, and Barbara is CEO and co-founder of Global Health Corps. 7. Franklin D. Roosevelt. Murray the Outlaw of Falahill, known as Fala for short, was a black Scottish terrier and the loyal companion of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A favorite with the press, he was even featured in a documentary about a typical day at the White House. Fala is buried next to Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in Hyde Park, New York. 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. 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.) 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. Program includes detailed election results and opportunities for next year. 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 10 (Thursday) – Middlesex County Republican Organization Holiday Party, Palms Plaza, 343 Route 34, Matawan (actually in Old Bridge) (More information added when available.) 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 February 28 (Sunday) – Middlesex County Republican Women’s Club Reagan Day Event. Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Drive, Monroe Township, (More information added when available.) 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
