Glenn Paulsen Elected GOP State Chairman

State Party ratifies Ciattarelli pick by acclamation

By David Wildstein

The New Jersey Republican State Committee tonight voted unanimously to elect Glenn Paulsen as the new GOP state chairman, ratifying a pick made by gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli.

He succeeds Bob Hugin, who was tapped by Ciattarelli four years ago.

The 76-year-old South Jersey lawyer was one of the state’s most influential political leaders during the fifteen years when he ran the Burlington County Republican organization – then the majority party in the county – and returns to a party post solely to help Ciattarelli’s bid for governor against Democrat Mikie Sherrill.

Darlene Shotmeyer of Beren was re-elected vice chair, and Hunterdon County Commissioner Shaun Van Doren gets another term as treasurer. Michelle Jones Purdy of Atlantic is the new secretary; She succeeds Irene Kim Asbury, who did not seek re-election as the state committeewoman in Hudson after losing party support for another term.

Paulsen has strong relationships across the state and knows how to run a party organization. Republicans held on to Burlington for years beyond what the county’s changing demographics might have permitted, primarily because of Paulsen. He backed Ciattarelli for governor in 2017 when he sought the GOP nod against then-Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and has remained one of Ciattarelli’s top advisors and sounding boards.

As a young attorney, Paulsen served in Gov. Thomas Kean’s administration as director of the New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles – perhaps the last strong leader of a troubled state agency – and as head of the state pension board.