Christie team stacked with Morris leaders

Morris County is well-represented on presidential candidate Chris Christie’s New Jersey Leadership Team.

Made public in the hours after the governor’s announcement on June 30 that he is seeking the Republican nomination for president of the United States, the list is stacked with both members of government and the private sector with ties to the Mendham Township resident’s home base of Morris County.

More than 200 names are on the list, which represents New Jersey Republican leaders and elected officials and business leaders who are supporting his candidacy. The list is divided into two categories — government leaders and private individuals who are recognized as members of his New Jersey Finance Leadership Team.

The government list is topped by Republican congressmen Rodney Frelinghuysen and Leonard Lance, who represent Morris County in Washington. Lance attended Christie’s announcement event at Livingston High School.

Government officials on his team also include Sen. Thomas H. Kean Jr., the State Senate Minority Leader who represents District 21; Sen. Anthony R. Bucco (District 25), Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (District 26), Sen. Stephen Oroho (District 24) and Sen. Kevin J. O'Toole (District 40).

With one exception — Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll — all Republican New Jersey Assembly members representing Morris County towns in those districts are on the list as well. They include Assembly Minority Leader Jon M. Bramnick and Nancy Munoz (District 23), Alison Littell McHose and Parker Space (District 24), Anthony R. Bucco (District 25), Jay Webber and BettyLou DeCroce (District 26) and Scott Rumana and David C. Russo (District 40).

Carroll (District 25), who describes Christie as “by far, the best governor of my lifetime,” said he may eventually support his candidacy, but is not ready to commit to any candidate in a wide and growing field.

“It’s early, we have a lot of really great candidates,” he said. “And while Chris might well be the best among them, I have not yet sat down and reviewed their positions on important issues, like economic growth, cutting taxes, paring back spending, adhering to the rule of law, sending illegals home, curtailing unskilled immigration, defense, trade, entitlements, ... the list is endless.”

Carroll also joked about how the GOP are now the party with a “diverse” field of candidates.

“Unlike our adversaries, we have the luxury of a large field of talented, experienced, practical men and women from whom to choose,” he said.

Also absent from the Christie list are the representatives of the lone Democratic-controlled district intersecting Morris County — the 27th — led by former governor and current state Sen. Richard Codey.

The government list includes Republican committee chairs in all 21 counties, including Morris County chairman John Sette. Other Morris county officials on the list are Sheriff Edward Rochford, County Clerk Ann Grossi and the entire Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders — Hank Lyon, Doug Cabana, Kathy DeFillippo, Tom Mastrangelo, John Cesaro, John Krickus and David Scapicchio.

Another Morris County name, co-chairman Finn Wentworth of Normandy Realty in Morristown, is at the top of the New Jersey Finance Leadership Team. Sette also appears on that list as a member of Lohman & Associates Inc in Morristown.

Other notable names on the finance list include longtime Christie ally, former Morris County Freeholder, Rockaway Township Mayor and current Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Attorney John Inglesino; Fred Alworth of Randolph and Gibbons P.C.; Christie’s brother, Todd Christie, of Mendham and Ernst & Young; Michael and Christine Gilfillan of Madison and BCS Capital; and Jerry Langer of Montville and Langer Transport.

“I have known Gov. Christie well for more than 20 years,” Inglesino told the Daily Record the day before the Christie announcement. “I have the utmost respect for his abilities. He will be a strong candidate and an even better president.”

The list announcement included a note regarding the names on the Finance Leadership Team that said “Individuals are serving in a personal capacity.”

Christie won Morris County by a wide margin in his 2013 re-election, collecting nearly 69 percent of the vote, according to voter records. Registered Republicans dominate the voter-registration ranks in Morris, with about 35 percent declaring for the GOP while about 21 percent are Democrats.

Barack Obama carried New Jersey in the 2012 presidential election with 58 percent of the vote, but lost Morris County to Mitt Romney, 54.5 percent to 43.6 percent.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-428-6627; wwesthoven@GannettNJ.com.