Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dealt Donald Trump an embarrassing loss tonight after GOP state committee members voted to re-elect Republican National Committeeman Bill Palatucci against a candidate endorsed by Trump.
Palatucci defeated Atlantic County GOP Chairman Donald Purdy, 22-20, to win re-election to the RNC seat he’s held since 2010.
This is Trump’s second loss in New Jersey this month; GOP voters picked Curtis Bashaw, a moderate businessman from Cape May County, against the candidate endorsed by Trump, Mendham Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner, in the June 4 primary election.
Christie showed up at a Woodbridge hotel where the state party was meeting in search of votes for Palatucci, one of his closest friends and long-term advisors.
By supporting Palatucci, New Jersey Republicans have re-elected a staunch anti-Trump candidate to serve a four-year term on the Republican National Committee.
He supported Trump until Christie broke with the former president after the 2020 election. Palatucci has not yet endorsed the former president, the presumptive Republican nominee.
Palatucci backed Christie in his bid for the 2024 presidential nomination and chaired Christie’s super PAC. After the former New Jersey governor exited the race, Palatucci actively participated in discussions about Christie mounting a general election White House bid as an independent as the “No Labels” candidate.
He was among a small group of national committee members who opposed a resolution censuring Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois) in 2022 for their involvement in an investigation of the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Kinzinger endorsed Biden on Wednesday.
This is also a loss for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, whose supporters had backed Purdy. State Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), a fervent anti-Trump candidate for governor next year, backed Palatucci; so did key allies of conservative Bill Spadea, who wanted to block the ascension of a Ciattarelli supporter.
RNC rules will allow Palatucci to be removed if he refuses to endorse Trump publicly.
Somerset County GOP State Committeewoman Janice Fields was elected without opposition. A Trump supporter who had run with Purdy, Fields succeeds Virginia Haines, who did not seek re-election after twenty years as the Republican National Committeewoman from New Jersey.