Democratic Councilman Michael DuPont Remains Confident He Will Be Reelected
Vin Gopal: “GOP Will Take Control of Red Bank”
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal told The Two River Times that the Republican Party will win control of the Red Bank municipal government in this November’s election.
Gopal, who launched a campaign of personal destruction against Red Bank GOP Chairman Sean DiSomma in 2013 when he issued a false press release asserting that DiSomma, then a candidate for council, had a warrant for his arrest in Texas over an unpaid traffic violation, whines incessantly to TRT reporter John Burton over the video that led to the resignation of Art Murphy from the borough council. Murphy, the Council President at the time of his resignation last week, also resigned his candidacy for reelection.
Gopal apparently has more of a problem with the fact that Murphy was caught vulgarly belittling his constituents than with the former Council President’s actions. Regardless of whether or not the Republicans released the video, which they deny, they did not fabricate charges, as Gopal did in 2013 against DiSomma.
Gopal, as quoted by The Two River Times:
“I think it’s a sad state of affairs when the Republican Party is videotaping people in private homes,” Gopal charged.
“They’re growing negative in Red Bank,” more than he’s seen in other municipalities. “There’s a lot more gotcha politics,” occurring in the borough on the part of Republicans, Gopal maintained.
DiSomma denied the GOP is campaigning with personal attacks:
“Vin Gopal can make all the assertions he wants,” Di Somma countered. “We’re not about personal character attacks,”
DiSomma said that Gopal apologized to him for the false charges in 2013, and that he has moved on.
Red Bank Councilman Michael DuPont
Councilman Michael Dupont, a Democrat who would have been Murphy’s running mate in November, told MoreMonmouthMusings that he disagrees with Gopal’s assessment that he and Murphy’s yet to be determined replacement will lose in November, thereby transferring power to the Republican Party for the first time this millennium.
“Red Bank Democrats have been very progressive,” Dupont said. “We passed a flat budget with bi-partisan support and we’ve been named by several publications as the best planned city and the best place to live. That is attributable to our progressive vision and our taking care of the business district.”
Dupont said that the Red Bank Democrats have not yet identified a replacement for Murphy. By law, the Democratic Municipal Committee must select submit three candidates to fill Murphy’s vacancy on the council. The remaining members of the council, 3 Democrats and two Republicans, will select one of the three to join the governing body. The new council member would presumably, but not necessarily, become Dupont’s running mate in November. The nomination of the new candidate is up to the Democratic Municipal Committee, with Gopal’s consent, and does not require the consent of the council.
Red Bank GOP Council Candidates Mark Taylor, left, and Mike Whelan.
DiSomma, for his part, is happy to finally agree with Gopal on something, “The Red Bank Republicans will take control of the governing body for the first time in 25 years. In Mark Taylor and Mike Whelan, we have put forth candidates that reflect new ideas and will who enact real, positive change, instead of the same old tired policies and excuses. I’m happy that Gopal recognizes the hard work that we are doing. We can all look forward to Mark and Mike joining Councilwomen Cindy Burham and Linda Schwabenbauer in the majority in January.”
