Flynn gets Arnone endorsement in bid to dump DiMaso
March 12, 2021
By David Wildstein
Monmouth County Commissioner Director Tom Arnone has endorsed Vicky Flynn for State Assembly in the 13th legislative district, giving her the support one of the county’s most influential and popular Republican officeholders.
Flynn is challenging incumbent Serena DiMaso (R-Holmdel) at the upcoming Monmouth County GOP convention.
“Vicky Flynn is exactly the right kind of leader we need fighting for us alongside Gerry Scharfenberger in Trenton,” Arnone said. “I know that Vicky will dig-in and do the hard work at the Statehouse that we need.”
Republican leaders, including Sheriff Shaun Golden, the GOP county chairman, has decided to deny party support to DiMaso in her bid for re-election to a third term in the legislature.
“She will be a tremendous partner to the County Board of Commissioners and here at home, Vicky will be a tireless campaigner for the party and our local candidates,” Arnone said. “Vicky and Gerry will make a formidable team in Trenton.”
DiMaso is contesting the convention, but it’s not immediately clear if she will run off the line in the June Republican primary.
Flynn is the president of the Holmdel Board of Education who has fought over municipal and county committee contests against DiMaso in Republican primaries and general elections in heavily fractionalized Holmdel.
State Sen. Declan O’Scanlon has no opposition for renomination.
A 57-year-old former Monmouth County freeholder, DiMaso won the Assembly seat that opened up when O’Scanlon replaced retiring State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Middletown) in 2017.
This could be the first hotly contested Republican primary in 16 years.
In 2005, Monmouth County Republicans dumped Joseph Azzolina (R-Middletown), who had served 11 terms in the Assembly on and off since 1965 – and one term in the State Senate.
Azzolina ran off the line in Monmouth and on the line in Middlesex County, when the 13th district included Old Bridge.
Handlin defeated him by 624 votes.
