Gopal Quits Dem Chairmanship To Challenge Beck For Senate

Vin Gopal resigned as Monmouth County Chairman in an email to Monmouth Democrats on Sunday night and announced that he is running for NJ State Senate against Senator Jennifer Beck in the 11th Legislative District.

In his email, Gopal, who was reelected Chairman last June, took credit for making Monmouth County politically competitive in the 4 1/2 years he’s been chairman.  He cited the victories of Assembly Members Joann Downey and Eric Houghtailing in the 11th district last year.  He claimed credit for increasing the number of Democrat mayors in the county from 14 to 23, over the last three years.

In this statement to the press which was published on Observer-PolitickerNJ, Gopal said, “Monmouth County needs a Senator who will battle with the insiders in Trenton, not just show up and act like a puppet.”   Earlier on Sunday, Observer-PolitickerNJ reported that Gopal has had sitdowns in recent weeks with the ultimate Trenton insiders; South Jersey Democrat Boss George Norcross, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Phil Murphy of Middletown, the presumptive Democrat nominee for Governor.

As Monmouth Democrat Chairman, Gopal and his candidates have accepted millions of dollars in campaign contributions from special interest insiders.

The former campaign operative for Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich who proudly endorsed Hillary Clinton for President and Barbara Buono for Governor, Gopal is running for Senate as a conservative, according to his press release.

“I’ve felt the impact that Trenton’s over-regulation, suffocating taxation, and red-tape has on the Monmouth County economy and on the ability of families to make ends meet.”

Gopal also touted the fact that he was a volunteer Chairman and that he has gone without a paycheck because his business is not profitable enough to pay both his employees and himself.

Gopal’s resignation is effective on Wednesday, January 4 at noon.  Mary Foster will serve as Acting Chair until a new chairman is elected.