MP Christopher Smith (R-Manchester) won a landslide unanimous victory at the Ocean County Republican convention on Thursday, and no delegate voted for the two candidates vying for party approval, Conservative podcaster Mike Crispy and realtor Michael Blow.
The victory gives Smith organizational lines in Ocean and Monmouth County as he seeks re-election for a 22nd term in the US House of Representatives.
Three other candidates – a member of the board of directors of Englishtown Daniel Francisco, a lawyer David Burg and longtime candidate Trisha Flanagan – did not participate in the fight for organizational line.
MP Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis) had no opposition against the Ocean GOP line in the 2nd constituency.
Smith is now a resident of Ocean County. He bought a house in Manchester after a Democrat restructuring map put his hometown of Hamilton in the neighboring 3rd district.
Smith and Van Drew added more Ocean counties to their counties after a new map nominated MP Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) from a county where there are strong Republicans.
