Dear fellow Republican:
On Sunday night, I emailed to announce my candidacy for Monmouth County Republican Chairman. Tonight, I want to take a few moments and share part one of my plan for victory – a plan I call "Monmouth County GOP, A House United." I will email you on Friday with the other aspects of my plan.
The Monmouth County GOP – A House United
In 1858, our great Party's founder, Abraham Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." I want ours to be a house united. My plan for victory consists of three parts:
1. Unify and heal the party.
2. Recruit and manage a powerful finance committee that gives our candidates the resources to win.
3. Support municipal chairman and help local candidates increase our plurality of Monmouth County towns.
I do not belong to any one group or clique. I am a Monmouth County Republican. I will bring a professional structure to our organization. When it comes to fundraising, I will not unilaterally disarm the Republican Party. I will aggressively and legally raise funds so we are victorious this November and beyond.
End the Balkanization
What we need to do is professionalize the Monmouth County GOP. We need to adopt a structure similar to a large non profit organization, which is:
Board of Directors
Chairman of the Board
Executive Director
Executive Board
The Board of Directors would be made up of the following positions:
Freeholders
Constitutional Officers
Assembly and Senate candidates
Honorary Trustees selected because of their wisdom and years of service.
10 Municipal chairman (Freehold, Middletown, Wall, Howell, Long Branch, one representative from the Bayshore, Central Monmouth, Western Monmouth, the Two Rivers, the Southern Shore)
The President of the Affiliated Club and Women's Federation.
For those smaller towns, the representative would be selected in alphabetical order, and rotated annually. For the larger towns, the chairmen are critically important to our success, and without their input and plurality of vote – we can not win!
How does this end the Balkanization?
By professionalizing the organization and formalizing an opportunity for dissent. With monthly board meetings, the chairman sets the agenda, the board votes, and when some item is uniquely challenging, or statute requires a convention, a vote is called for by the county committee to ratify one of the candidates screened by the committee.
By decreasing the power of the factions. If every town is given an opportunity for voice, the need for small coalitions to come together and plot "the death of the King" is diminished.
By realigning the role of Chair. He is no longer the all-knowing boss. He is no longer the lackey of a small clique. He is now the executive. The Chair sets the agenda, maintains a forward vision, and seeks approval and consent by the true party leadership.
I have seen the value of professionalizing organizations as a founder of a charity, and in serving as Boy Scout Vice President. We can learn to disagree without being disagreeable. I have voted against issues while serving as a board member, and yet I did not feel compelled to be angry if my side did not win.
And most important, a professional organization learns to cast votes "for" positive change, and not simply "against" anything that the current leader is in favor of.
Respectfully,
Adam Puharic
Dear fellow Republicans:
I wanted to share with you all the great news that our campaign for Chairman has gained incredible momentum this past week. I am proud and humbled to announce that I have just received the endorsement of the 17 municipalities of the Southeastern Republican Caucus! The Southeastern Republican Caucus is comprised of the Municipal Chairs of 17 towns along the South Shore who meet and act in the best interests of the residents of Monmouth County.
What makes the support so special to me is that we are bringing together municipalities large and small. We are bringing Republicans together from the North, the South, the West and the East. Tonight I want to reveal more of my plan – A House United. I want to concentrate on fund raising, winning in November, and the role of the convention for our County Committee.
Raise money to win
The next Chair must not be tied down by false expectations, and untenable mandates that limit the ability to raise money. The fact is this: We spend too much time chasing down small dollars from theoretical "grass roots" folks who can barely afford to pay for their gas in their car. This does not smell like victory. More like deck chairs on the Titanic.
Here is what we need to keep in mind:
A. 80% of our dollars comes from 20% of our donors. This holds true for every fund raising organization. We need to marshal their energy. Events are expensive ways to raise money. At best, you keep $.60 on the dollar.
B. We spend an inordinate amount of time working the 20% of our donors who make up the bottom 20% of dollars. How many times have you gone from event to event, only to see the same faces?
C. Corzine and the rest of the Trenton democrats are the enemies of business. We need to harness their frustrations.
The next Chair will be effective in raising money if he:
Professionalizes the fundraising and concentrate ALL the energy on major gifts.
Recruits and manages a powerful finance committee that gives our candidates the resources to win.
Harnesses the power and membership of our great Chambers of Commerce, and other business groups.
Win in November
No one person is smart enough to run every campaign. The chair must rely on all of the great talent in our party, choose campaign chairman with a track record of victory, and rely on the Board of Directors for vision and guidance. To win in November, the next Chair must do the following:
Remember Admiral Nelson. In the year 1800, the British Admiral Horatio Nelson won the important battle of Trafalgar, which led to British dominance for almost one hundred years. Before the battle he wrote, "A commander can do no wrong if he turns his guns toward the enemy and fires away." The next chairman must not waste one word on Republicans. It is time to focus on beating democrats.
Remember Reagan's 11th Commandment. Ed Stominski, Mel Hood, Jim Giannell and Elias Abilheira are great Republicans. No more personal attacks. We are Republicans. We built this county – together. Together, we will maintain it.
The Role of Conventions
First and foremost, we must work through the summer, into the fall and elect Rosemary Peters, Freeholder Little, and Andrew Lucas. But immediately following their election VICTORY, we will call together our great County Committee and begin the hard work of reorganizing the Monmouth County Republican Organization for a sustained majority.
We will need to ratify bylaws. I will call together the hard working group of Republicans, who include Mel Hood, Gus Toomey and others, to take their good work and interpret my recommendations for change within the organization. I will seek and apply your input.
I seek a convention process that empowers our Republican County Committee, and allows them to make fair, even-handed decisions. I seek a process that not only produces great candidates like Freeholder Burry, Freeholder Little, Rosemary Peters, and Andrew Lucas – but one that also heals divisions and ends factionalism.
I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, June 13th at Brookdale Community College.
Respectfully,
Adam Puharic
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