Henry Kuhl

Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore, who announced yesterday that he would not seek another term as the chair of Republican chairmen, today supported Essex County Republican Chairman/state Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Cedar Grove) for the post.

Gilmore said that O'Toole has the support of enough of the state's 21 county chairs to easily ascend to the position.

"Kevin absolutely has the votes," said Gilmore. "One of the things I wanted to see was that it was a smooth transition."

Gilmore's support and vote count makes O'Toole the obvious favorite, but it's possible that he won't go unchallenged. Gilmore's decision not to run took many county chairs by surprise, and a short list of four names quickly emerged: O'Toole, Somerset County Chairman Dale Florio, Warren County Chairman Doug Steinhardt and Atlantic County Chairman Keith Davis.

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Henry Kuhl and parlimentarian Tony Maglio 

FLEMINGTON - The veterans picked the veteran here tonight and the county committee responded in kind as Hunterdon County Republican Chairman Henry Kuhl won re-election over Bloomsbury Mayor Mark Peck.

The GOP is pumped up about having two residents on the general election ballot in important races: Dick Zimmer running for U.S. Senate and Leonard Lance for U.S. Congress in the 7th District.

Both candidates backed 28-year chair Kuhl for another term.

7th Congressional District GOP nominee Leonard Lance 

FLEMINGTON - State Sen. Leonard Lance, the Republican candidate for Congress in the 7th District, just thanked the overflow crowd here in GOP headquarters.

"I'm grateful to everyone in this room," said Lance, who last week romped to victory in the GOP primary.

The candidate, who made his remarks moments before heading out the door to attend reorganization meetings in Somerset and Union counties, endorsed chair Henry Kuhl for another term over challenger Mayor Mark Peck of Bloomsbury.

After 28 years as Hunterdon County Republican Chairman, Henry Kuhl isn’t ready to call it quits. 

Tomorrow night, Kuhl, who runs a commercial egg incubator corporation, will face the fourth challenge in his political career from 39-year-old Bloomsbury Mayor Mark Peck.

To Kuhl, the old cliché applies perfectly to his tenure as chairman: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 

When Kuhl was first elected, the county had a Democratic freeholder and a Democratic Assemblywoman.  Since then, Republicans have completed their domination, knocking off those two Democrats almost immediately after Kuhl took over and keeping and in subsequent years the area solidly under Republican control.

One of the races to watch in June is the contest for Hunterdon County Republican Chairman, where longtime incumbent Henry Kuhl faces a fierce challenge from Bloomsbury Mayor Mark Peck, who says that the local GOP needs to be stronger so they can produce a bigger plurality for congressional candidate Leonard Lance in November.

Read Peck’s announcement letter and platform: