Is there a Ron Paul revolution afoot in Jersey City?
According to two local Republican leaders, the answer is yes.
A recent lawsuit involving the Jersey City Republican Committee is linked, at least in part, to a handful of young Ron Paul supporters who have taken his grassroots approach to political
Read more: Hudson Reporter - Young Republicans fight to join city committee Local party influenced by popular Texas congressman Ron Paul
organizing to heart.
With the encouragement of Sean Connelly, an attorney and former chairman of the Hudson County Republican Committee, several of these fresh faces decided to run for district seats on Jersey City’s Republican Committee in June.
“These young bloods, they’re all new to the city. They’re very enthusiastic. Many of them are Ron Paul people,” said Connelly. “I guess because of the [Republican] presidential primary, a lot of them were looking to run for [the] committee. They came to me. I got them the necessary paperwork and said, ‘You’re on your own. Get your petitions done. If you’re elected, you’re elected.’ And they won. I guess it was about 50 or 60 of them.”
Read more: Hudson Reporter - Young Republicans fight to join city committee Local party influenced by popular Texas congressman Ron Paul
But according to Connelly, they posed enough of a threat to Russell Maffei, current chairman of the Jersey City Republican Committee, that they were excluded from the committee’s reorganization in June.
Maffei, a supporter of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, denies that he purposely excluded anyone from the reorganization meeting, and insists other factors were at play.
Either way, Connelly ended up filing a lawsuit, the outcome of which means there will be another reorganization meeting held next month.
Maffei believes he has the votes to retain his seat as committee chair. But even if he wins, the skirmish between the “young bloods” and the old guard could signal a shift in local Republican politics.
Read more: Hudson Reporter - Young Republicans fight to join city committee Local party influenced by popular Texas congressman Ron Paul
What’s Ron Paul got to do with it?
Paul, a multi-term U.S. Representative from Texas’ 14th Congressional District, twice ran for the Republican presidential nomination on a platform based on civil libertarian values. While he failed to win his party’s nomination, he successfully ignited populist support among many voters who were turned off by more mainstream Republican and Democratic candidates. After he ended his 2008 run for the White House, Paul encouraged his supporters to stay active and engaged in grassroots political organizing where they live.
This movement was quickly dubbed the “Ron Paul Revolution.”
“What he has encouraged people to do is get involved in their local party because that’s the way we can remake the Republican Party,” said Jim Feeney, a member of the Jersey City Republican Committee. “Then they can start getting onto the state committees. Then they can get on the national committee. Once Ron Paul people take over these committees they can start picking the candidates that get the support of the party.”
Read more: Hudson Reporter - Young Republicans fight to join city committee Local party influenced by popular Texas congressman Ron Paul
