Smith, Labarbera face off in Sussex GOP chair race

Sussex County Republicans will meet on Wednesday to pick a new county chair, with Hopatcong school board member Candice Smith facing Skylands Tea Party President Joseph Labarbera.

The incumbent, Jerry Scanlan, is retiring after eight years in office.

Smith has the backing of State Sen. Steve Oroho and Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths.  Labarbera comes from the other faction of the Sussex Republicans that includes Kelly Ann Hart, the GOP vice chair, County Commissioner Bill Hayden, and embattled political consultant Bill Winkler.

If the dunderheaded Winkler wants to keep any foothold in Sussex, he’ll need Labarbera to win.

“My goal is to bring positivity, have a reinvigoration of the Party, and make it accessible to all Republicans, young and old.  Fundraisers of different price points, more activity, and rally behind the primary winners so they all win in November,” Smith said.  “Doing this with my signature smile, love of people, and the party.”

Sussex is largely a one-party county – Democrats have not elected a state legislator since 1973 and haven’t won a countywide election since 1999 – so Republican primaries are not unusual.

Labarbera had endorsed Steve Lonegan during his short-lived GOP Senate primary against Space earlier this year and backed County Commissioner Herb Yardley for re-election; Yardley lost by a wide margin to 24-year-old farmer Jack DeGroot.