by Joshua Sotomayor-Einstein
As an NJ State Republican Committeeman I had high hopes for the state GOP Chairmanship of Doug Steinhardt. I was elected the same time as Steinhardt was “supposed” to be coronated chairman as he was then GOP gubernatorial candidate Kim Guadagno’s pick for the position (his selection to the position was postponed to avoid the appearance of impropriety as his wife had recently been appointed to the state parole board). Roughly half a year later Steinhardt was made chair and I was thrilled to have what seemed to be an energetic state GOP party leader at the steering wheel. I believed Steinhardt would lead from the front, grow the party, support draining the swamp, and most of all – I did not see him trying to turn the party into a personal political fiefdom. I was wrong – Doug Steinhardt’s tenure as GOP State Chairman has been a failure. I do not presume to speak for all the grassroots, Trump lovers, those activists who came of political age during the Tea Party movement (all of which I am a part) or any of the many other partners that make up the coalition that is the Republican Party in New Jersey. I can only address what I have seen firsthand and that has been one unforced error and disaster after another led by a glad-handing man I once had high hopes for.
Steinhardt must be judged by his own words. In a March 2020 interview with Matt Rooney of SaveJersey.com and Art Gallagher of Moremonmouthmusing.com, Steinhardt state that he “was in Hudson county not long ago, looking at the revival of clubs in Secaucus, Fort Lee, Jersey City, and Hoboken.” The relative incoherence of this sentence aside, it is important to be cognizant of Steinhardt’s reason for being in Hudson County that February. Steinhardt spoke at a dinner hosted by useless Hudson County Chairman Jose Arango only organized two weeks prior, that raised zero dollars for any Republican organization, and that had 25 people or less in attendance. Arango, known throughout state Republicans circles as NJ’s leading Democrat domesticated Republican title holder, announced the dinner in a paltry attempt to compete with the 2020 Lincoln Day Dinner held by the Hoboken Republican Municipal Committee. The Lincoln Day Dinner in Hoboken had a packed room of over 68 people, raised money, and featured Jack Ciattarelli, then the only declared GOP Gubernatorial candidate, as the headline speaker. Steinhardt was undoubtedly aware of the dinner by the Hoboken Republicans and chose to attend Arango’s get-together of a handful of people instead of coming to visit actual grassroots Republicans engaging in outreach and party building not just without Arango’s support but often with active efforts by him against them. Steinhardt chose a Republican title holder, Hudson County Chairman Arango, who in over 15 years has never even gotten a Republican elected to school board over the grassroots.
In the same interview Steinhardt touts Michael Testa’s victory in NJ legislative district one, but what of the other NJ legislative districts? The victory in Testa’s district is the high point of his chairmanship because it is the only legislative GOP victory during Steinhardt’s term as state chair. He continued, that in 2020 “he wants a minimum of four new Congressman sitting out there with Jeff Van Drew and Chris Smith as we continue to gain ground in New Jersey,” clearly then by his own standards Steinhardt’s tenure as State Chairman has been a failure.
Steinhardt plans on getting the support of Trump lovers and the grassroots by coasting on the fact that he spoke at Trump’s south Jersey rally for Van Drew, but before New Jersey Republicans even think of determining whether he is fit to be the Gubernatorial candidate we must ask two important questions. First, if Steinhardt openly allies himself with Republican title holders who have a long history or working for Democrats over the grassroots, why should he get the support of grassroots Republicans? Second, as Steinhardt could not even live up to the goals he set for himself as NJ GOP State Chairman, why should we reward him for his failure by making him our nominee for Governor?