Republicans will have primary in Manalapan

By KATHY BARATTA and MARK ROSMAN Staff Writers

Republicans will have primary in Manalapan

By KATHY BARATTA and MARK ROSMAN Staff Writers

MANALAPAN — There will be a Republican primary in Manalapan in June as
four candidates seek the nod to run for two seats on the Township Committee in the
November general election.

As previously announced, Ryan Green and William Garcia were nominated by the
Manalapan Republican Party to run for a pair of three-year terms. They will run
under the banner of the Monmouth County Republican Organization.

On April 7, which was the deadline for candidates associated with a party to file
to run, Kalman “Butch” Budai Jr. and Steven Johnson filed paperwork with the
Township Clerk’s Office to run under the banner of Manalapan Republicans.

The decision by Budai and Johnson to run for the committee appears to confirm
behind-the-scenes maneuvers that have been taking place in Manalapan over the
past week and signals a split in the Manalapan Republican Party.

Budai and Johnson were unsuccessful in their bids two weeks ago to secure the
nomination of the Manalapan Republican Party to run for the Township Committee.

Municipal Clerk Rose Ann Weeden said Budai and Johnson stated their desire to
have their own line on the ballot, and said they also filed candidates to seek seats on
the Manalapan Republican County Committee.

The county committee is made up of residents from each voting district in the
municipality and helps to select individuals to run for office.

Neither Budai nor Johnson returned messages left by the News Transcript over
the weekend of April 5-6. The News Transcript was calling to ask if they were planning
to force a showdown among Republican voters in the June primary.

Several Republicans confirmed to the News Transcript over the weekend that they
had been approached by individuals who asked them to start a breakaway faction of
Republicans.

Richard Frenkiel and his wife, Maizie, said they were solicited for membership in
the new organization, but declined to join.

Richard Frenkiel is a former member of the Township Committee who served as
mayor during his term of office. Both are members of the Manalapan Republican
County Committee.

Maizie Frenkiel said her decision not to leave the regular Republican organization
was an easy one because not only was the Manalapan Republican Party’s strength
being jeopardized, she also felt the matter spoke to the loyalty of Manalapan’s registered
Republicans.

“I hate to see the party split. It’s never a good thing to split the party,” she said. “I
have been a member of the regular Republican Party for 30 years and a county committee
person for just as long. I didn’t think it was appropriate to switch. I told them
it’s a matter of loyalty.”

Richard Frenkiel said, “If people formed a new party every time there was a disagreement
there wouldn’t be a party.”

Manalapan resident and political gadfly Rhoda Chodosh, has been a Manalapan

Republican County Committee member for two years. Chodosh said she was
approached by a member of the county committee in an effort to get her to join the
new faction.

“I’m staying where I am because I want strong Republicans in Manalapan. Being
on the county committee is not only about the municipal level. It’s more than just the
one – I look at the whole, the greater good of the party,” Chodosh said.

Manalapan Republican Party Chairman Stephen McEnery said, “The Republican
Party is made up of individuals who want to work toward making Manalapan a better
place for their families. Whenever a splinter group forms, chaos develops and family
focus disappears … When two parties debate on issues it’s about beliefs. When a
party splits it’s not about beliefs, it’s about ego.

“Ego exists through all levels of politics, but when it becomes just about ego with
little regard for the township, the residents need to reject that behavior. When people
such as Butch Budai, who was the low vote-getter at our convention, uses his position
as a party boss to bring people together for him, it’s called a gang, not a party.

“The Republican County Committee in Manalapan had an election for candidates
and some people lost. Such is life. But this is not Steve McEnery’s party, it’s simply
the Republican Party of Manalapan. It was here long before I was elected chairman
and it will be here long after I’m gone,” he said.