Republican insiders were unclear last night just how serious Joseph Buckalew is about entering the race for United States Senator, but it does appear that the GOP doesn’t seem ready to heed the request of Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore to stop endorsing candidates: the Bergen County GOP convention went on as planned last night, giving Joseph Pennacchio a landslide victory in his bid to run on the organization line against Murray Sabrin.
Buckalew, a sixty-something former Ocean County Freeholder, Lakewood Township Committeeman, and New Jersey Highway Authority Chairman, made millions as a Director of Commerce Bank, were he ran the shore area banks. (Remember, Commerce was sold last year, leaving Buckalew with a huge pot of cash.) He has the ability to self-fund a statewide campaign, and it’s not like New Jersey Democrats are positioned to attack him for any of the Commerce Bank woes – or his connection to South Jersey Democratic leader George Norcross.
