Monmouth GOP backs Dnistrian for Senate, Anderson for county commissioner

In a battle between two political newcomers, Steve Dnistrian defeated Sara Haleva to win the Republican organization line for State Senate in the 11th district, where Democrat Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch) is seeking re-election to a third term.

In the race for Monmouth County Commissioner, Republicans picked incumbent Ross Licitra and Shrewsbury Mayor Erik Anderson.  Licitra was the top vote-getter with 211 votes, followed by 176 for Anderson and 143 for Matt Woolley, a former chief of staff to Assemblyman Sean Kean (R-Wall).

The six-term incumbent, Lillian Burry, is not seeking re-election.

Dnistrian, the former COO of the largest advertising and public relations firm in the U.S., Omnicom, defeated Haleva by a vote of 85 to 18, 82.5% to 17.5%.

Haleva, a Yale Law School graduate who helps manage family-owned real estate, has said she would abide by the wishes of the convention and not run off-the-line in the primary.

In addition to a business career at Johnson & Johnson, Dnistrian served as an executive vice president and board member of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.  Omnicom owns Mercury, one of the state’s top public affairs firms.