Sue Kiley won a vote of the Middlesex County Republican screening committee on Wednesday night, providing a major boost as she seeks the Republican organization line for Congress in New Jersey’s 6th district.
Kiley, a Monmouth County Commissioner and former Hazlet mayor, defeated former U.S. Food and Drug Administration official Rik Mehta by a vote of 24-12. The two-thirds win gets Kiley the recommendation of the party leadership going into the March 19 Middlesex County Republican convention.
Kiley and Mehta want the chance to take on House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch) in the general election.
Two other candidates — former Republican National Committee staffer Thomas Toomey and 2021 Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Gregg Mele — received no votes at tonight’s screening committee.
Kiley has already secured the organization line in Monmouth County after winning their convention last month with 67% of the vote
Mehta moved to Iselin earlier this year after dropping his bid for the GOP House nomination against Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) in order to run against Pallone. He was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2000 against Cory Booker and had won organization lines in Monmouth and Middlesex.
Kiley’s 2-1 win in the Middlesex screening committee vote came one day after receiving the endorsement of State Sen. Sam Thompson (R-Old Bridge), a former Middlesex County GOP Chairman.