GOP primary war taking shape in East Brunswick

Three party challengers

threw their hats into the ring Monday

John Cito is trying to be the John McCain of East Brunswick’s mayoral race, but he’s hoping to edit the results a bit by winning the Republican nomination for mayor.

Cito confirmed on Monday that he will run for the Republican nomination for mayor in the June primary election and will offer a full slate of candidates when he does so.

Joining Cito will be Edward Trzaska, a chemical engineer and the treasurer of the East Brunswick Republican Party, and Lynn Francavilla, an office administrator and longtime Republican.

Cito, an attorney and longtime Republican contributor, has been backed by several local Republican leaders, including Trzaska and 1998 Republican council candidate and East Brunswick Republican Club Trustee Henry Przystup.

Yet, Republican Party leaders chose to go in a different direction and passed over Cito to nominate former Township Public Works Director Mike Opaleski for mayor. The party also confirmed the nominations of Elliot Schaktman and Frank Coury for Township Council, but it’s the choice of Opaleski that has raised the ire of some Republicans and led to the formation of Cito’s ticket.

The fact is that Opaleski registered as a Republican only in the last year. He said that he did not register earlier because township ordinances forbid politicking by township employees.

Additionally, Coury, a former Republican state assemblyman and Middlesex County freeholder, ran for office as an independent twice in the last year.

So now, just as Republicans are getting the chance to take on Mayor Bill Neary and two Democratic councilmen, the party is dividing into factions.

Cito is framing the primary as an insiders vs. outsiders contest, with his slate running against a party establishment that will not support them.

Trzaska said that he decided to support Cito and later run with him because Opaleski had never done anything for the local Republican Party.

"I’ve been around the party’s inside workings for one and a half years, and in that time I’ve never seen him, never heard him speak, never heard of him. I don’t understand why the nomination would go to someone who’s never done anything for the party," Trzaska said.

Of the six candidates on both slates only Schaktman and Francavilla were active Republicans in East Brunswick four years ago.

Cito has been an active Republican for more than 15 years but only moved to East Brunswick three years ago. Before that, he lived for 10 years in the Rutgers Village section of New Brunswick, which is located right on the East Brunswick border. Prior to that, he lived in Edison, where he grew up and maintains his law practice.

Trzaska has been active with the Republican Party since 1997, when he began volunteering for the county Republican Party while still an undergraduate student at Rutgers University. However, Trzaska, 25, only registered as a Republican one month ago and was forbidden entry to this year’s county Republican convention because he registered too late.

In addition, Przystup, who ran for council as a Republican two years ago and will likely manage Cito’s campaign, did not register as a Republican until just prior to running in the election, said Republican Party Chairman Rod Kulp. Prior to that, he was a registered Democrat.

As far as Kulp sees it, it’s merely sour grapes on their part to criticize Opaleski for only recently registering as a Republican.

Kulp said that the party will likely vote on Thursday to remove Przystup and Trzaska from their positions in the party due to the ethical breaches of opposing party leadership while remaining part of it.

Yet, Kulp held out hope that Cito would decide to pull out of the race and take Trzaska and Francavilla with him.

"It’s just not smart on his part," said Kulp. "What could be the start of a nice political career is probably going to be the end of a career."

Kulp said that, even if Cito’s slate won, the Republican Party would probably not support them.

"If you’re going to buck the party’s leadership, you have to deal with the consequences," Kulp said.

However, Kulp said that party members feel no ill will toward Cito and Trzaska, who are more prominent in the party’s inner circle than Francavilla.

"Hopefully, they will come to their senses," said Kulp. "I think they’re both nice guys, but they’re new to the scene and don’t know the town as well."

The East Brunswick Republican Club will meet on Thursday at 8 p.m. in the public library, where it may vote on the fate of the party leaders.