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Montco GOP Opens New Office in Democratic Bastion of Jenkintown

Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by a 53-point margin (76-22 percent) in Jenkintown four years ago. But the Montgomery County Republican Committee opened a satellite office on Old York Road last week in the heart of this Democratic-dominated community.

It’s a sign of just how upbeat Republicans are about the chances of voters returning former President Trump to the White House, and they’re bullish on Dave McCormick, who is running for U.S. Senate against 18-year incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D). The Democrats pushing Biden off their ticket and replacing him with Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t dampened their enthusiasm.

“There’s a reason we want to do this. We have to plant the flag in the ground and show that Montgomery County is not a one-party county. And so, this is not just to drive toward victory in November. This is to drive toward victory going forward,” said Montgomery County GOP Chairman Christian Nascimento.

“The Republican Party in Montgomery County is back!”

Two other auxiliary offices are planned for Pottstown and Harleysville, with the main  GOP location in Blue Bell.

The office is full of yard signs and literature for Trump, McCormick, and other candidates, including state representatives, state treasurer, auditor general, and attorney general.

The speakers praised Robert Asher, a businessman and Republican National Committeeman, who helped fund the additional locations.

(From left) R0bert Asher, Joanne Ayer, Christian Nascimento, Commissioner Tom DiBello

“The tide is turning,” said Asher. “For the first time in 15 years, this week, Bucks County switched back and has more Republican than Democrat voters. So that is hugely important.”

“And we are going to work for all Republicans from state representatives to the next president of the United States to have a united Republican Party victory,” Asher said.

The numbers appear to back up Asher’s claim about a turning tide. Data from the Pennsylvania Department of State showed there were 395,699 more registered Democrats than Republicans in April. That advantage dropped to 360,982 this month. Republicans added almost 30,000 registered votes while Democrats lost more than 4,800 voters, according to the state government.

And while Bucks remains the only county in the DelVal region with a GOP edge., the party has narrowed the gap with Democrats in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties as well.

Scott Presler of Early Vote Action has been actively registering GOP voters in Pennsylvania. He says Bucks is just the beginning.

“We flipped Beaver County 🔵🔜🔴. We flipped Bucks County 🔵🔜🔴. Now, we’re turning our attention to Luzerne County. After Luzerne flips — because it will — we will focus on Centre, Chester, Erie, & Monroe,” Preslser posted on X.

Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello said he attends events all around the county and sees the same enthusiasm.

“Wherever I go, the Republican and GOP energy is strong, vibrant, and ready to win,” said DiBello. “We’re seeing a shift that the communities are starting to look in the other direction back to our way. For 150 years in Montgomery County, we had Republican leadership, and Montgomery County was run very successfully. In the last eight years, its leadership has shifted, and people see what’s going on…And they are not happy. High taxes. High crime. And all this is happening in our communities and neighborhoods…People are starting to stand up, and they’re starting to fight back.”

Congressional candidate David Winkler said, “Montgomery County is in play…I’ve talked to so many different groups who are all going to be in Montgomery County because they see it as a win.”

“Guess what? Jenkintown and Abington, we’re here right now, and we’re making an announcement that Montgomery County is important,” said Joe Rooney, chair of the Abington Township Republican Organization (ATRO), who is running for state representative. “And we’re going to do everything we can, and there’s a lot of people right here that are backing that statement up…We’re fighting. Just like Trump said last Saturday. We are fighting for every GOP vote.  And the vote of people who love America.”

“This shouldn’t end at the end of the election,” said ATRO member Bob Jasionowski. “We’re working together with data and mail-in ballots. We’re firing on all cylinders here. We’re pulling the fuel in for turbocharging.”

Abington resident Ron Holt, the former county register of wills, volunteers for the McCormick campaign.

McCormick “is a little behind in the polls, but on election day, he’s going to win,” said Holt. “He’s a military man. He’s a family man.”

“I’m supporting all Republicans,” said Jenkintown resident Suzanne Hunter. “I think our country is going down the drain.”

Also from Jenkintown, Susan Krol added, “Everyone is complaining about the illegal immigrants. (Democrats) want to change the demographics…They want to control this country.”

About 75 people came to last week’s opening.

“I thought this was going to be maybe 20 people,” said Jim Saring, a Republican State Committee person from Plymouth Meeting. “It shows how excited people are about our ticket and putting President Trump back in office.”

Christine Baik, who ran for Upper Dublin Township commissioner last year, agreed it was a “good turnout. It shows people are ready to work to get their candidates over the finish line.”

Baik added, “I’m a young woman of color who votes Republican because the Democrats don’t write their narratives for me.”

 

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‘We Call Him ‘Shrek:’ Fetterman a Popular Target at Montco GOP Dinner

Enthusiasm ran high among the 250 committee people, elected officials, and candidates at the Montgomery County Republican Committee’s Fall Dinner last week at the Normandy Farm Hotel in Blue Bell. The event both honored outgoing state Sen. Bob Mensch (R-Bucks/Montgomery/Berks), who is retiring, and gave the GOP faithful a message for the upcoming midterm elections.

County Republican Chair Liz Preate Havey and state GOP Chair Lawrence Tabas rallied the Republican troops, with some help from special guests Matt and Mercedes Schlapp of CPAC fame.

“These two people are the hardest working people,” said public relations pro Alexandra Preate who moderated the event. “You can’t imagine phone calls at 2 o’clock in the morning or text messages. They never say no. They travel all around the country. They have a young family,” Preate said.

53rd District state Rep. candidate Jennifer Sodha with Nancy Becker, vice chair Montgomery County Republican Committee.

“Mercedes and I are 1,000 percent behind Doug Mastriano and 1,000 percent behind Dr. Oz,” Matt Schlapp, chair of the American Conservative Union, said. “Dr. Oz is a rare politician. He called us to say, ‘Can I take you to breakfast?’ He took us to the Royal Restaurant, which is kind of legendary in Alexandria (Virginia). He did something that Donald Trump did. He asked questions, and he didn’t talk. He listened.”

Usually, “politicians always talk the whole time until you think, ‘I’ve got to get out of here. My ears are going to bleed pretty soon.’ Not Dr. Oz.

“The other thing he did, he’s a famous guy and he was so nice to people. People were pouring out of the kitchen. Everybody wanted to meet Dr. Oz. He’s exactly what we need in our politics today.”

On current political conditions, Matt Schlapp said, “Our country has a virus, and it’s not COVID. We have a virus called self-loathing. We’re teaching our kids to hate our country. We’re teaching our kids to disrespect their parents. We’re teaching our kids that God is an old-fashioned value.”

“America is under attack by a virus that wants to undermine her. And I think we all get it. We’ve woken up from our slumber and our stupor. And I think Pennsylvania is going to lead the way,” he said.

Schlapp, a regular on Fox News and other conservative media outlets also turned his sights on the Democrats.

“I often think when I walk our city streets, especially Washington, D.C. with double-digit increases in murder, violent crime ever since they… started to say that cops were bad. I’ve often said, it doesn’t make much sense that the Democrats say, ‘I have a policy solution. Let’s legalize all drugs.’”

“Look at your lieutenant governor or whatever you refer to him as–”

Preate cut in, “We call him Shrek, sometimes.”

“The idea that just listening to him, the idea of legalizing all drugs seems insane,” he said. “I feel like we’re in an insane moment.”

Mercedes Schlapp said she believed GOP success in November centers around the Keystone State. “Pennsylvania is the epicenter of this red wave. We are going to make Pennsylvania red again. It will happen in our lifetime, I promise you. People are fed up.”

And, she argued, it is not just because of inflation.

“I know we talk about the economy that’s putting so much pressure on families, but it is these cultural issues,” she said. “It is the fact that you have these schools, these leftists pushing sex changes at the age of 5 or 6, that they are normalizing the use of puberty blockers for our children. This is disgusting, and this is what we have to stop. And I have seen parents, the ones that didn’t want to get involved in politics, have had to rise up. And I see that so much here in Pennsylvania where moms have said, ‘I’ve never done that before, but I’m going to get active, and I’m going to make sure we make a difference in our local school boards.’”

Liz Havey and members of the Lower Merion High School Conservative Club

There were also kind words from Havey for guest of honor state Sen. Bob Mensch.

Mensch brought performance-based budget to the state, transforming the budgeting process, so every line item and department is reviewed yearly “like a business,” Havey said.

“His second huge accomplishment, in my view, you know his wife passed after fighting a really long battle with cancer,” she said. “And Bob made sure in the legislature over the last many years that women with breast cancer have the testing and insurance coverage that they need,” she said. “He really impacted thousands of women across this commonwealth, twice receiving the prestigious Pink Ribbon Award, the only person in Pennsylvania to get the award twice from the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.”

She said Mensch has also been “a true friend” to many Republicans. He mentored her, helped her become the party chair, and helped many candidates.

Mensch, who served for 16 years in the legislature, thanked the audience for supporting him and supporting the Montgomery County Republicans.

“I truly appreciate the recognition,” he said. “We need candidates to run and run and run to get elected. We have some great candidates. We can’t just cede all of this to the Democrats.”

“There’s been a lot of talk about (Democratic Senate candidate John) Fetterman here,” said Mensch. “I worked with Fetterman for four years. As the lieutenant governor, your biggest responsibility is to run the Senate. You’re the president of the Senate. It’s scripted. Literally, and to his left is the parliamentarian. If there’s any question, she’s there for his help, and she’s dynamite. And he can’t read the script. He can’t do the job. So, what does that say? He says he transformed the job of lieutenant governor. If you can’t do the job, he’s transformed it.”

Havey, who joked about living in the very Democratic town of Lower Merion, welcomed a group of Lower Merion High School students who are members of a student Conservative Club.

Senior Andrew Coyne, 17, said he founded the club last year because “conservatives needed a space to talk about their opinions without being called racist. Lower Merion High School always talks about diversity and inclusion but not so much diversity of thought.”

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