GOP names candidates for vacant council seat
Cangemi is choice of Republicans to succeed Ernst
BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer

Cangemi

Three names have been submitted as candidates to fill the Red Bank Borough Council seat recently vacated by Republican Kaye Ernst, though it is unclear when the council will vote to fill the post.

Mary-Grace Cangemi, Rector Place, the 2006 council candidate who lost the race to Councilman Michael DuPont by little more than 20 votes, is the favorite of the local Republican committee, according to fellow Republican John P. Curley.

"She is intelligent, articulate and passionate," Curley said of Cangemi, who ran for council last year with Curley running, unsuccessfully, for the mayoral seat. "She would bring a great deal of fervor and great discussions to the table. She was only approximately 23 votes behind Mr. DuPont. She is the logical choice."

The council has 30 days from the day that Ernst's resignation took effect, which was at the close of the Feb. 12 council meeting, to choose another Republican to fill her seat.

The other two registered Republicans whose names have been submitted for consideration for the vacant council seat are Steve Fitzpatrick and Anthony Tamburri.

Fitzpatrick, Chestnut Street, is a regular at council meetings and worked with Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, a former council member, on the municipality's anti-pay-to-play ordinance.

Tamburri, River Road, is related through marriage to former Red Bank Mayor Michael Arnone, the Republican who held the seat before the 16-year run of former Mayor Edward J. McKenna Jr.

Mayor Pasquale Menna, who won the mayoral slot in the 2006 election to succeed McKenna, said he has known all three individuals for a long time.

"They are all fine individuals," he said. "I think the council should be able to make an appointment at the next council meeting."

DuPont said that although he is aware of Cangemi's experience due to her campaign against him, he would prefer if all three candidates submitted resumes to the council before a vote is taken.

"I don't really know anything about Steve [Fitzpatrick] except his name," DuPont said, "and I don't know the third candidate at all. It would be helpful to know who they are."

Councilman Arthur Murphy said that he would like to be able to take as much of the 30 days that council is permitted to take by law to fill a vacant seat as necessary.

"These are three great candidates," he said, "but I don't want to be pressured into making a decision by the next council meeting."

Curley, the only Republican now sitting on the council, said that he is sure the candidates would be happy to provide some biographical information for the members of the council to review.

"I could have those resumes to you by the first of the month," he said.

Menna said that he believes it would be best to move forward quickly, so that the seat doesn't remain vacant for too long.

"I don't know of any statute that would compel them to submit a resume," he said, "and I don't need bios for any of them."

Jack Minton, the chair of the local Republican committee, said that Cangemi would be the preferred choice because of the campaign she ran last year.

"She did very well in the general election," Minton said Tuesday. "She is well known in town. Her performance in last year's election makes her the preference of the Republican Party to fill the seat, but I understand fully that the choice is up to the governing body."

Ernst said that many things factored into her decision to resign, including the cost of living in New Jersey. She has moved to Lord's Valley, Pa.