County Republicans Celebrate Synergy in Move From Grove Street to North Avenue

Synergy was the name of the game Thursday evening as Union County Republicans celebrated at an office warming party for the county GOP's new home on North Avenue East.

County Republican Chairman Phil Morin said the party moved from East Grove Street to North Avenue for several reasons, including a synergy with U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance, R-Hunterdon County, and Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr., R-Westfield, who have offices in the same building. Other reasons for the move include more space and a more visible location on the heavily trafficked street.

"I felt that while the offices were separate, it felt like a good synergy," Morin said.

He said that he has heard many cases of residents visiting the congressional and Senate offices with purely political questions, which the two government offices cannot answer. By having the county GOP office in the same building, those residents can be sent over by Lance and Kean staffers.

The office will also serve as a local hub for the campaign of Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie. Kelly Stokes, the Christie campaign's coordinator for Union, Essex, Hudson and Passaic Counties, will be based in Westfield fulltime. Westfield is expected to be a prime battleground for Christie and running mate Monmouth County Sheriff Kim Guadagno. The GOP ticket appeared at a Westfield High School event two weeks ago.

Morin said that besides Stokes, Megan Falso, the county party's executive secretary, will be staffing the office on a fulltime basis. He said the party will be running nightly phone banks for Christie and countywide candidates out of the office, and that other Republicans will have the option of using the space as a political base. Morin said the office will be a base for a door knocking blitz in several towns, including Westfield, on Saturday for Christie and local candidates.

The move takes the Republicans from the politically-split third ward to the GOP bastion of the second ward. The second ward is the only ward in town to never elect a Democrat to the Town Council in history. Local Republicans are happy Morin chose to keep the county party in town.

"From a Westfield perspective, it's great," Councilman Jim Foerst said. "Westfield is in the center of the county. It's great that the new site is in the same building as Congressman Lance and Senator Kean; it's a nice fit."