EAST HANOVER — The Morris County Republican Committee is ecstatic to welcome its newest Republicans to the party. After months of good conversations, Mayor Joseph Pannullo, Council President Frank DeMaio, Councilman Brian Brokaw, Councilwoman Carolyn Jandoli, and Councilman Michael Martorelli have officially switched parties from Democrat to Republican.
The party switch means that East Hanover has gone from a 5-0 Democratic town to a 5-0 Republican town.
Morris County Republican Chairwoman Laura Ali is thrilled. “The Republican Party in Morris County is welcoming Mayor Pannullo and East Hanover’s four Council members to our family with open arms and great excitement! East Hanover is an exceptionally run town with great leadership. We clearly share the same values as Mayor Pannullo and his Council, and we are so excited to have them be part of our Republican family. This wouldn’t have been possible without the extraordinary working relationship between Hanover Township Mayor Ace Gallagher and the local East Hanover government. I can’t thank Mayor Gallagher enough for his help in making this possible.”
Mayor Joseph Pannullo and the Township Council announced the change of political party from Democrat to Republican. “Municipal leaders have a responsibility to represent their constituents best, and it is our belief this change of party is in the best interest of the community,” explained Mayor Joe Pannullo. “As the nastiness, rhetoric, and social media vitriol of national politics continues to infiltrate local governance, we collectively determined this was the best course of action to keep the focus on local issues impacting our community – combating the overburdening & unrealistic fair-share housing mandates, keeping taxes stable, enhancing our parks and investing in public safety needs to be our local priorities. Every decision my administration makes is about putting East Hanover first; this is no different.”
Statewide and County Republican officials are also excited about this announcement. Mayor Pannullo and his team have the unanimous support of all Morris County party leaders.
State Senator Joe Pennachio, who will be representing East Hanover after the new redistricting takes place, said, “Congratulations to Chairwoman Ali and team. Allow me to be one of the first to welcome Mayor Pannullo and the Democrat Council into the Republican Party. Whether you are a lifelong Republican or a transplanted Democrat such as me, you are immediately welcomed and accepted without hesitation.
I look forward to working with my new Republican friends to make East Hanover an even better place to live.”
State Senator Anthony Bucco is also ecstatic with the news, “This is a major win for the Republican Party and shows how out of touch and extreme the Democrat party has become. We welcome these well-respected local leaders to our party as we continue to expand our party’s reach”.
Also representing East Hanover after redistricting will be Assemblyman Brian Bergen, who is looking forward to working with the Mayor and Council in East Hanover. “The Republican Party in Morris County has incredible momentum, a great indication of our progress. Mayor Pannullo and his entire Council are a great team, and we are glad to have them join us. 2023 will be a big year, and this is just the beginning.”
The local Republicans in East Hanover are equally excited. “I welcome Mayor Pannullo and the entire Council into the Republican party. We will work together moving East Hanover forward,” the local party chairwoman, Sue Tietjen, said.
This flip has major positive implications for the Republican party statewide. New Jersey Republican Party Chairman Bob Hugin is thrilled:
“I want to commend Mayor Joseph Pannullo, along with Council President Frank DeMaio, Jr, Councilwoman Carolyn Jandoli, and Councilmen Brian Brokaw, Sr. and Michael Martorelli, for making a commonsense choice that will best serve their constituents going forward. I also want to particularly thank Morris County GOP Chair Laura Ali for help facilitating a warm welcome to our new partners in fighting for greater affordability and against Trenton overreach.”
The Morris County Republican Committee will proudly support the Mayor and Council with their full endorsement. A celebration event is being planned for early March. Details will be provided in advance of the event.
For more information, reach out to the Chairwoman of the Republican Party at laura@morrisgop.org.
