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Vol. 3 – No. 25 ♦
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February 16, 2019 – February 22, 2019
CUTTING TIES Citing Evidence of Defection Attempt, County GOP Pulls Support for Howarth
8th Legislative District Assemblyman Joseph Howarth
By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer
MEDFOR D —The Bu rlington Count y Republican Committee officially disowned 8th Legislative District Assemblyman Joseph Howarth on Feb. 8, claiming that the elected official cut off all contact with GOP leaders and attempted to join the Democratic party for a period of two days following 8th District Senator Dawn Marie Addiego’s Jan. 28 defection to the Democrats. The statement, written by Committee Chairman Sean Earlen, came hours after Howarth vehemently denied attempting to join the Democratic party to the Pine Barrens Tribune when asked about the claim to that effect first made to this newspaper by a highlevel Republican source. Howarth, hours before Earlen’s statement, had also denied to this newspaper that his silence in the wake of Addiego’s defection was a sign that he, too, was leaving the GOP. He claimed that he was just too emotional to speak out on the
subject because of the longtime friendship he had enjoyed with the senator. “Following Senator Dawn Marie Addiego’s an nou ncement last week that she was abandoning her principles to become a Democrat, Assemblyman Joe Howarth cut off all contact with me and other Republican leaders in an apparent attempt to join Senator Addiego in defecting,” wrote Earlen on behalf of the Burlington County Republican Committee. “After finally speaking with Joe, and weighing his words and his actions against contrary evidence, I consulted with other party leaders and arrived at the indisputable fact that Joe Howarth no longer deserves party support.” Earlen added that he had informed Howarth that the Burlington County Republican Committee “cannot in good conscience” support the assemblyman’s bid for re-election. “While it is up to Joe to decide if he will continue to serve out the remainder of his term, his time as a candidate supported by our organization is over,” Earlen said. Howarth, when reached Feb. 9 for comment
on Earlen’s remarks, vowed that he still intends to seek the GOP line on the ballot ahead of this year’s November election, in which the district’s two assembly seats are up for grabs—which means a GOP June primary fight is now a distinct possibility. “They asked me last week to resign and I told them last week I wasn’t going to,” he said. “Listen, they have been planning this for a long time. They formed a narrative. They said I was involved with Dawn switching, which is totally false. I guess we will have to take it right to the county committee floor. We will have the first county committee primary vote, for the first time in Burlington County history—at least that I know of.” The assemblyman added that he was still optimistic that the county committee could reverse Earlen’s decision through a formal vote when it soon meets to pick candidates for the official GOP ticket, preventing a contested primary. He thought Earlen was not speaking for the entire membership of the committee. “I actually hope the people of Burlington
County, and the people who are on the county committee, and the people who supported me in the past, will continue to support me and actually give me the line on the ballot,” Howarth said. “I am hopeful I can still convince county committee members to pick me. I have had an awful lot of people calling me up. It comes down to a vote, that is all.” New Jersey’s 8th District includes Atlantic, Burlington and Camden County municipalities. Richard Ambrosino, chair man of the Camden County Republican Committee, told this newspaper on Feb. 12 that since there are only three municipalities in Camden County that are part of the 8th District, the organization will defer to the Burlington County Republican Committee. “I have spoken to Sean Earlen, and we will likely support who he supports,” Ambrosino said. Howarth told this newspaper that he believed he had his strongest backing in Hammonton because of his support of the farming community. See CUTTING/ Page 18
INDEX Dental Column.....................8 Jobs...................................20 Opinion..............................12 Health..................................9 Leo the Lion.........................2 Senior Column.....................8 Here's My Card..................16 Local News..........................3 Worship Directory................7 Hobbyist............................15 Marketplace.......................19
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