Jersey Shore Most Influential 2024 — Politics: George Gilmore’s path back to NJ kingmaker

The business of governing the Jersey Shore may have evolved some since the days of “Boardwalk Empire,” but it’s still a modern feudal system run by political bosses, real estate developers, old and new money, entrenched incumbents and — now and then — the occasional visionary who manages to break through. Here’s a look at the people who are having the biggest impact on our local politics.

If you think there's someone worthy who is not on these lists, email Executive Editor Phil Freedman at pfreedman@gannett.com. Please include a brief explanation of why you think they are deserving and contact information.

George R. Gilmore: Chairman, Ocean County Republican Party

Convicted of federal tax charges in 2019 and pardoned by Donald Trump on his last night in the White House in January 2021, Gilmore made a remarkable comeback as county GOP chairman last year and remains one of the most powerful Republicans in the state — albeit in a slightly diminished state.

Once a kingmaker in New Jersey and perhaps he may be again, Gilmore was an early supporter of Chris Christie for governor in 2009. To be sure, a 70,000-vote margin for Christie in Ocean County that year helped him defeat incumbent Jon Corzine statewide and put Christie in the governor’s mansion for the next eight years.

A natural salesman with an adeptness for raising large sums of political cash, no Democrat has been able to win countywide or state office from Ocean since Gilmore was first elected chairman in 1996. Nevertheless, his smooth charm and political pragmatism have helped him procure allies across party lines throughout the state. Trump’s decision to pardon Gilmore was supported by four former New Jersey governors from both parties, including Christie, Jim McGreevey, Jim Florio and Donald DiFrancesco.

With a reputation for running Ocean County like an old-fashioned political boss, Gilmore has been the target of FBI investigations in at least two known corruption investigations — in 2008 and 2017 — that were ultimately unable to find any evidence of criminal wrongdoing related to his role as a party leader. Instead, as a result of the latter probe, the feds successfully sought convictions against Gilmore for filing a false bank loan application and for failing to remit payroll taxes at his now defunct-Toms River law firm, where he had made millions of dollars each year from his work as a municipal attorney.

On the cusp of serving a sentence of one year and one day in federal prison, Trump swooped in and granted a full pardon to Gilmore. Having been forced to resign as chairman after those convictions four years ago, Gilmore vowed to return to power and in July 2022 won the backing of the Ocean County Republican Committee for his old job, defeating the sitting county sheriff for the role, who had been the prohibitive favorite to win. In the year that has followed, Gilmore has been trying to climb his way back to the zenith of his prior stature and settling old scores in the process.

Vin Gopal: Democratic State Senator, Long Branch, NJ 11th Legislative District

At 38, Gopal is currently the youngest New Jersey senator in the Legislature and arguably the Shore’s most powerful lawmaker in Trenton. He’s also the first person of South Asian heritage to be elected to the New Jersey State Senate, where he currently serves as chairman of its Education Committee. A Democrat who represents a swing district in otherwise Republican-controlled Monmouth County, voters have sent Gopal to the Statehouse twice since 2017 and he is again on the ballot this November where he faces a serious challenge from Republican Stephen Dnistrian of Colts Neck, who owns a branding, communications and consulting company. Having previously served as chairman of the Monmouth County Democratic Party — a position he was elected to at the age of 26 — Gopal remains the organization’s de facto leader in all but name. He also has the ear of another influential Monmouth County Democrat, Gov. Phil Murphy. In navigating the thicket of machine politics that have carved up New Jersey into blue and red fiefdoms, Gopal has also cultivated working relationships with a number of influential Republicans at the Shore — including the first person on this list — when mutual interests align.

Rabbi Avi Schnall: Director, New Jersey Office of Agudath Israel of America | Democratic Nominee for State Assembly, NJ 30th Legislative District

In Lakewood, where at least two-thirds of the township’s estimated 140,000 residents are Orthodox Jewish, Schnall is an outspoken advocate for the community’s interests at the federal, state, county and local levels. Standing as a bulwark against antisemitism, Schnall has helped overturn restrictive zoning laws in neighboring Jackson that were alleged to have been used to prevent the growth of a burgeoning Orthodox population there. This fall, Schnall has set his sights on winning a seat in the Legislature. Late in the summer, Schnall became a Democratic candidate for state Assembly in New Jersey’s 30th District — which includes Lakewood and large portions of southern Monmouth County. Although Schnall is the underdog in the race against incumbent Assemblymen Sean T. Kean and Edward H. Thomson, both R-Monmouth, Shore politicos are taking Schnall’s dark horse candidacy seriously — and win or lose, what he plans to do next.

Kara Kopach: Executive Director, Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority

In a position to reshape the economy of Monmouth County for generations to come, Kopach is in charge of shepherding along a deal with Netflix to build what will be one of the biggest movie studios in the world on a portion of this historic, former Army base. Under Kopach’s leadership, the streaming giant plans to invest $850 million to build 12 sound stages. The project is expected to create as many as 3,500 construction jobs. When completed, the studio lot would create up to 2,200 jobs a year with an estimated economic impact of $7.4 billion to $8.9 billion over 20 years, or $370 million to $445 million a year. It would also give Monmouth County the name recognition and draw that comes with an iconic corporation.

Chris Smith: Republican Congressman, Manchester, NJ 4th Congressional District

There was a brief time not too long ago when Smith was the only Republican left in New Jersey’s congressional delegation. First elected to the House of Representatives on the same night Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter for president in 1980, Smith represents major parts of Monmouth and Ocean counties in what is his 22nd term in office where he has been an unwavering voice for the rights of the unborn and others unable to speak for themselves, in addition to being an uncompromising advocate for military veterans.

Frank Pallone: Democratic Congressman, Long Branch, NJ 6th Congressional District

The Shore is served by two long-serving congressmen from opposing parties: Pallone being the second. Serving his 18th term in Congress, Pallone has had a front-row seat to American history since 1988 and is the sixth most senior member of the U.S. House of Representatives after Nancy Pelosi, where he is an influential member of the Democratic caucus. Currently the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Pallone is a passionate advocate for the environment, the poor and working class, and the region’s fishing industry.

Michael G. Mastronardy: Sheriff, Ocean County

Since taking office nearly a decade ago, Mastronardy has been transforming the once ragtag Ocean County Sheriff’s Department into a smart, disciplined, countywide police force in all but name; with the office planning to soon establish a regional ambulance service too. Currently, Mastronardy enjoys strong support from a majority on the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, who control his department’s nearly $30 million budget. A former Toms River police chief who is described as a workaholic, Mastronardy regularly monitors his county’s 911 dispatch in real time late — and into the night — on a department-issued laptop, which he also carries with him even when he travels thousands of miles away on vacation. When home, Mastronardy is just as likely to respond personally to a serious emergency or major crime scene as his own rank-and-file officers. A shrewd retail politician (Mastronardy would dispute this point, arguing that he just loves people), this county constitutional officer also serves in major leadership positions on the executive committees of the National Sheriffs’ Association and the Sheriff’s Association of New Jersey.

Shaun Golden: Sheriff, Monmouth County | Chairman, Monmouth County Republican Party

Monmouth County’s sheriff since 2010, when his predecessor Kim Guadagno became New Jersey’s first lieutenant governor on Chris Christie’s ticket, Golden consolidated his power base in 2014 when he ran against his own party’s chairman in Monmouth County — former state Sen. John O. Bennett III — to become not just the new sheriff, but the new political boss in town. Since then, Golden has not shied away from making powerful enemies inside and outside of his party in pursuit of maintaining the tightest grip on power any Monmouth County GOP chairman has had in memory. Earlier this year, Golden helped kill a bill in the Legislature that would have prohibited constitutional officers, such as him, from also serving as chairpersons of county political organizations. The legislation may or may not have been personal, but in all likelihood it probably was.

Christian Fuscarino: Executive Director, Garden State Equality

As the leader of New Jersey’s most influential LGBTQ+ rights organization, Fuscarino presides over an organization that saw its early battles at the Shore chronicled in “Freeheld,” an Oscar-winning documentary later adapted into a Hollywood film of the same name starring Julianne Moore, Elliot Page and Steve Carell. Today, as fronts in the battles over sexuality and gender identity have opened up on school campuses, Fuscarino has remained a forceful voice in the cause, explaining: “The responsibility of school board members is to provide a safe and affirming learning environment for all students. … Personal religious beliefs are not a valid excuse for prejudice — there are people of faith all over New Jersey who wholeheartedly accept the LGBTQ+ people in their communities.”

Virginia E. Haines: Ocean County Commissioner | Republican National Committeewoman, New Jersey

A state legislator in the early 1990s who is responsible for those specialty license plates with Barnegat Lighthouse featured on them, Haines later served as New Jersey’s lottery director in the administration of Gov. Christine Todd Whitman. A Lakewood native who comes from one of the oldest families in Ocean County, Haines is only the second of three women to serve on its county Board of Commissioners. As one of two RNC members representing New Jersey, she gets a say in what goes in the GOP’s national platform. Once a close ally of county political boss George Gilmore, Haines broke with him over his criminal convictions in federal court and campaigned against him in his bid to return to power after he was pardoned by Trump: “How can we have the strongest county Republican Party in the state and have a convicted felon as our county chair?” Haines asked. Since Gilmore’s comeback, she has on occasion served as a foil, determined to keep a check on his influence in matters of county and local government — with varying degrees of success. As a commissioner, who is liaison to the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Program, Haines often has the last word on how millions of tax dollars are spent each year to preserve open space, farmland and historical sites in the county.

Bradley D. Billhimer: Ocean County Prosecutor

As a young Democrat in Ocean County two decades ago, Billhimer once found himself in a campaign for county surrogate with an elderly Republican incumbent who dropped dead a little more than a week before Election Day. As he recounts the story with a sense of humor today, he humbly gets to the punchline where the dead guy wins by 20,000 votes. Such is the cross to bear for any Democrat who runs for countywide office in ruby-red Ocean County. Today, however, Billhimer is the county prosecutor — a gubernatorial appointment with a term of five years — and therefore is the highest-ranking Democratic official in Ocean County (even though the position is technically non-partisan). Nevertheless, Billhimer’s political acumen, initiative and a reputation for even-handedness as the county’s chief law enforcement officer has made him a favorite of the all-Republican county Board of Commissioners — which a few months ago dispatched a resolution to Gov. Phil Murphy asking for Billhimer to be reappointed when his term expires later this year. Three Republican-controlled municipalities — Seaside Heights, Jackson and Berkeley — have since followed with resolutions of support for Billhimer on their own.

Daniel Rodrick: Township Councilman, Toms River | Republican Nominee for Mayor, Toms River

Rodrick’s journey from political outsider to rabble-rouser, to the Republican nominee for mayor of New Jersey’s eighth-largest municipality is a bit of a head-spinner. In June, the Republican-turned-Democrat-turned-Republican defeated incumbent Maurice B. “Mo” Hill Jr. in a four-way GOP primary for mayor. Rodrick’s campaign focused on overdevelopment and opposition to the Hill administration’s ambitious plans to redevelop Toms River’s downtown. An excellent campaigner and a hard worker at it, his critics say he has overpromised what he can actually do if elected. Nevertheless, the sitting councilman remains heavily favored to win in November. The mayor’s office would make Rodrick one of the most powerful political figures in Ocean County. However, the question going forward will be: Can Rodrick govern as good as he campaigns?

Paul M. Kanitra: Mayor, Point Pleasant Beach | Republican Nominee for State Assembly, NJ 10th Legislative District

At 44, Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Paul M. Kanitra represents a new generation of Republican leaders coming up in a county that has otherwise come to look more like a gerontocracy over the last 20 years. A frequent guest on Fox News, Kanitra is a savvy media operator, who can take a hot button issue at the Shore and transform it into a larger policy debate about America — all in just a few soundbites. Earlier this year, Ocean County Republicans nominated Kanitra for a seat in the state Assembly from the 10th Legislative District. Given his age and his public profile, Kanitra is without a doubt a rising star in the party.

Laura E. Matos: Chairperson, New Jersey Pinelands Commission

A veteran political operative and consultant who worked directly for three consecutive Democratic governors back in the aughts, Matos, a Belmar resident, is one of those figures who may not be necessarily well known to the general public but wields an enormous amount of influence as a minister behind the throne. Appointed chair of the state Pinelands Commission by Gov. Murphy in January 2022, Matos leads the 15-member board, which is composed of seven members appointed by the governor, one member appointed by each of the seven Pinelands counties — which includes Ocean — and one member appointed by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. The powerful commission decides how the Pine Barrens may be used, what projects if any may be undertaken there, and the extent to which all 938,000 acres within its domain should be protected in the future.

Bill Stepien: Political Consultant | Partner, National Public Affairs | Former White House Political Director

After former President Donald Trump himself, no one is more responsible for George Gilmore’s pardon than Stepien — who has close ties to Gilmore that go back years. The former White House political director and Trump’s 2020 campaign manager lobbied the now-former president to include Gilmore on a list of 143 people who were given clemency in the final hours of the Trump administration on Jan. 20, 2021. Since then, Gilmore has awarded Stepien’s firm operational control of the county GOP’s various political campaigns. He has also assisted Gilmore in shoring up the chairman’s own hold on power following his surprise comeback last year.

Chris Russell: Political Consultant | Principal, Checkmate Strategies

One of the state’s top Republican political strategists and a Jackson resident, Russell’s firm notes that he has flipped more blue seats to red than any other consultant in New Jersey. A senior adviser to the 2021 gubernatorial campaign of Jack Ciattarelli (a race that turned out to be far closer than any political pundit expected), Russell remains a key player in the future of the Republican Party in New Jersey and in the nominating process of its next gubernatorial nominee. Moreover, Russell’s willingness to wade into the messy, provincial politics of the Ocean County GOP organization — often on behalf of primary candidates and other interests George Gilmore does not support — have resulted in an adversarial relationship between them at times. Given the importance of Ocean County to the GOP in any statewide election, Russell is bound to remain a key player in the future of the Republican Party in Ocean County too.

Phil Murphy: Governor, State of New Jersey | Middletown resident

He’s not just New Jersey’s 56th governor, he’s also a local. After all that is written here, that makes Murphy the most powerful political figure on the Jersey Shore if not the most influential.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: George Gilmore: Jersey Shore Most Influential 2024