Zdan beats Tabor by 11 votes at Monmouth GOP convention

Monmouth County Republicans narrowly voted to endorse former News 12 reporter Alex Zdan for U.S. Senate at their convention tonight.

Zdan defeated Richard Tabor, a state trooper, 114-103 in a two-way race.  They are competing for the chance to take on U.S. Senator Cory Booker.

Middletown Mayor Tony Perry was the unanimous choice of the convention to run for Monmouth County Commissioner; the incumbent, Ross Licitra, is not seeking re-election to a third term.  Perry will run with incumbent Commissioner Erik Anderson, the former mayor of Shrewsbury.

Michael McGuire received the party endorsement for the 3rd congressional district against Rep. Herb Conaway (D-Delran), and Hillary Herzig got it for the 6th district against Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch); the two first-time candidates, both Monmouth County residents, were uncontested. (McGuire has several primary opponents in the 3rd district; he has party support in Mercer County, but one of his opponents, Jason Cullen, won the Burlington GOP endorsement.)

Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), seeking his 24th term in Congress, also got the Monmouth GOP’s backing.

So far, Zdan has won the use of Republican organization slogans in Bergen, Cumberland, Cape May, Essex, Passaic, and Salem; Monmouth is his eighth victory.  Tabor has Atlantic, Hudson, Hunterdon, Ocean, and Union, and former Tabernacle Deputy Mayor Justin Michael Murphy has Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer.

Dr. Robert Lebovics, a physician from Englewood who has just joined the race, did not appear on the ballot in Monmouth; neither did a fifth candidate, Natalie Rivera.

This is Zdan’s second victory in Monmouth County; he won the GOP convention in 2024 but late dropped out of the race and endorsed the eventual nominee, Curtis Bashaw.  That race was also close: Zdan beat Bashaw on the first ballot by two votes, and then on the second ballot by 29.