By John Burton
RED BANK – Sean Di Somma, the combative Republican municipal chairman, will give up his position after two consecutive years of GOP victories.
After holding the chairmanship for one two-year term, Di Somma told party members via email that he would not seek another term.
Di Somma, who works in the financial services industry, acknowledged a demanding work schedule that has him traveling more than 100 days a year. “And when I’m home I’m up and out of the house by 5:30 in the morning and not home until 8:30 (p.m.).”
In addition, he and his fiancée have an infant child.
“The candle only has two ends to burn,” he said in an interview with The Two River Times last Friday.
Di Somma, 34, took control of a moribund local GOP, which, while winning the occasional seat among the six-member borough council, had seemingly usually only put up token resistance to the 26 years of Democratic control of the governing body and mayor’s office, with the Democrats better financed and organized.
Di Somma, with a brash style, had attempted to run for council himself, twice unsuccessfully, in 2013 and again in 2014. But while he didn’t secure a seat, his party took seats both years. And in 2015, with Di Somma as chair, the Republicans won both available seats, taking the majority for the first time in more than a generation. Di Somma also became a much more visible, higher profile municipal chair than his two previous predecessors, who, combined, ran the local party for about 20 years. But with that higher profile came some vitriol, as he regularly criticized local political opponents and even one member of his own party.
In his email, Di Somma said the local party organization has “been able to build a large and robust fundraising operation, an unmatched grassroots and data program as well as being able to recruit our two best candidates ever,” for this year’s race.
“We won and we were tough and strong,” Di Somma told The Two River Times. “And for those people who may not like the toughness, the reality is the Republicans have lost two and a half decades before we were able to bring that type of tough, smart campaigning to Red Bank.”
Also during his tenure, a vocal high-profile feud developed between Di Somma and Borough Councilwoman Cindy Burnham. Burnham, who had developed a reputation as a firebrand, had initially campaigned and won as a Republican and as Di Somma’s running mate. The two were always oil and water but it became increasingly heated—and Burnham’s relationship with the other three Republican council members becoming increasingly strained. That resulted in the local party establishment not endorsing the incumbent Burnham for re-election, resulting in her campaigning this year as an independent.
With three Republicans, two Democrats, one independent on the council and a Democratic mayor, this year’s election could determine the majority control, determining who sets the political and policy agenda for the following year.
For this year’s race for the two seats, incumbent Democrat Kathy Horgan is running for re-election, with Burnham seeking her second term. The Republicans have selected Brian Hanlon, who works in the financial industry, and Kelly O’Bosky Colwell, a local artist.
Republican Councilwoman Linda Schwabenbauer, who won her seat in 2014, said, “I would say the skills that Sean brought to the table were exactly what we needed at the time,” contributing to her win.
Di Somma has endorsed municipal committeeman Michael Clancy for the next chairmanship, believing “his tenure, when all is said and done, he’ll be the best chairman Red Bank has ever seen.”
Clancy had initially hoped to run last year as one of the Di Somma/Republican-supported local Board of Education candidates, in what is traditionally a non-partisan election. But Clancy’s bid for elected office ground to a halt, when it came to light he wasn’t qualified for candidacy, given he lived in Red Bank for less than a year.
But Schwabenbauer didn’t seem to share Di Somma’s unqualified endorsement for Clancy. She acknowledged, “Honestly, we’ve been looking to take a different direction in terms of our leadership.” As a committeeman, Clancy would play a role, but “I’m not sure he’ll take over as chairman, though,” Schwabenbauer said. She maintained there were others, more experienced for the position and “A couple of them said they would do it.”
The county committee is expected to convene in July to select the next municipal chair.
Di Somma said he’ll still remain involved in the party, continuing to serve on the local and county committees.
