By Stephen Appezzato
A new slate of two Republican candidates will challenge the party’s incumbent county leaders in the upcoming June 10 primary election. Democrats also unveiled their candidates for the November election, who will run unopposed in the primaries.
Under the banner of Monmouth County Conservative Republicans (MCCR), Freehold Township resident Mary C. “Katie” Kelliher and Marlboro resident Danielle Bellomo are vying for the Republican nomination for a county commissioner seat and county clerk, respectively. According to a release, the slate is running to bring fiscal discipline and transparency to the county government, as well as a new perspective and fresh ideas “to a Republican county administration that has become devoted to holding on to power and spending taxpayer money to do it.”
In its announcement, the MCCR voiced grievances with the current county administration and mentioned campaign issues such as addressing cost-of-living and affordability issues for families and increasing government transparency.
Kelliher, a real estate agent, is running for the other county commissioner seat “to be a voice for the taxpayers and people who are overlooked by the current administration.”
“Costs are going up, property taxes are going up, pushing housing out of the reach of many young people and seniors,” she said. “Every day I see people forced to sell their homes because they cannot afford to live in Monmouth County.”
Bellomo, a member of the Marlboro Board of Education, president of a local parent-teacher organization, Girl Scout troop leader and council delegate for Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore, is running for county clerk, challenging 10-year incumbent Christine Giordano Hanlon.
“My goal as clerk will be to engage with the residents, streamline the office and ensure that the office provides efficient and respectful service to the public,” Bellomo said.
Initially Bellomo and Kelliher launched their campaign with a third running mate, Aberdeen police detective and president of a local PBA Ron Osadacz Jr. On April 10 Osadacz suspended his campaign for county commissioner.
“Over the past several days, the political establishment has put out vicious, nasty and slanderous texts and articles by their paid political operative to lie about myself and the others who stepped up in the name of Democracy,” his statement on Facebook read in part.
“I entered this race with a public safety concern. I used channels available to me prior and was met with resistance. My intention was and is pure. There was no desire for me to become a politician,” Osadacz wrote.
Incumbent Competition
The MCCR slate will face stiff competition from the Monmouth County Republican Committee in the June primary election. This year, Monmouth County commissioner director Thomas A. Arnone and commissioner Dominick “Nick” DiRocco are running for re-election, as are Hanlon and Sheriff Shaun Golden, who will run unopposed in the primary election.
“Under Republican leadership for the past decade, Monmouth County has earned a distinction as one of the most desirable and safest places to live, work, and visit, and we have been honored to play a part in the County’s success,” Golden said. Golden also serves as chairman of the county Republican Party.
According to the slate’s re-election announcement, under Golden’s leadership, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office has achieved national accreditation and “has earned a reputation for excellence in all areas of law enforcement and public safety.” Golden has also spearheaded the county’s 911 operations center, a service provided by the sheriff’s office at a “greatly reduced cost to Monmouth’s municipalities”; initiated HOPE One, a mobile outreach unit designed to directly help those affected by the opioid epidemic; and launched the sheriff’s office’s EMS program last year, alongside other achievements.
Arnone, who was first elected to the Board of County Commissioners in 2011, has served as commissioner director since 2018. According to the release, he has led the way in developing programs to enhance the county’s economy, including Made in Monmouth, Grown in Monmouth and Brewed & Distilled in Monmouth. The release also emphasized the establishment of shared services agreements with municipalities.
Under Arnone’s leadership, the county established the Tourism Advisory Group, bringing mayors and tourism leaders together to grow the economy, and has made investments in local infrastructure, like road repairs and bridge projects, such as the Rumson-Sea Bright bridge, which will open for traffic this summer.
Arnone has also led efforts to transition certain government programs to the private sector, which the county said has helped reduce costs. These programs include privatizing care centers, landfill management and bridge operators.
DiRocco has served on the board since 2020 and oversees the county’s financial management and budgetary practices. According to the party, he has been “instrumental” in maintaining the county’s AAA bond rating from all three major rating agencies, reducing the number of county positions while expanding services, supporting county vocational schools and leading efforts to preserve open space and recreation.
Hanlon began her tenure in 2015 and is credited by the party with modernizing and enhancing county services. She initiated outreach programs like the Monmouth County Votes website, which contains comprehensive election information, an enhanced ballot tracking system, the Mobile County Connection program, the “Honoring our Heroes” veterans discount program, and the “Your Vote Matters” initiative to educate high school and college students about voting.
November’s Democratic Challengers
The Monmouth County Democrats who will run unopposed in the upcoming June primary include Highlands resident, veteran and business owner Michael Warren for sheriff; Alison DeNoia, a Colts Neck resident who serves on the township’s Farmland and Open Space Committee and Green Team, is running for county clerk; Atlantic Highlands borough council member and family law attorney Vito Colasurdo and Ocean Township resident and business owner Jacqui Wenzel are running for the two open county commissioner seats.
“This team brings a wide range of real-world experience and fresh energy, united by a common goal – to restore trust, accountability, and a genuine connection between county government and the people it serves,” read a statement from the party to The Two River Times. “With a deep commitment to public service, transparency and community progress, this team understands the everyday challenges Monmouth families face – and they’re ready to deliver the responsive, effective leadership our county deserves.”
The article originally appeared in the April 17 – 23, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
