VINELAND – Here they go, the candidates vying for the Republican nomination in CD2.

“No,” said retired FBI man Robert Turkavage  of Brigantine (pictured below, center) when InsiderNJ asked the congressional candidate if President Donald J. Trump should fire Bob Mueller.

“I’m more moderate,” the candidate explained, as he attempts to grab a line in this splintered field, where everyone – or nearly everyone – has a scrap of something.

There are a total of eight interlocking county pieces here.

Seven candidates.

Turkavage has had some near wins, including a heartbreaking loss by one vote in Salem – but still hasn’t triumphed in any single county.

Atlantic this coming weekend – all 23 towns in the coastal county – will be a big one.

But tonight, the controls belonged to Cumberland County GOP Chairman Michael Testa, who stands astride 14 towns in the 2nd, who made the command decision to go forward with the meeting in the middle of a developing snow and ice storm.

Wimps needn’t apply here.

“We’re all about an open process,” the chairman said, explaining his decision to allow the press into the golf course antechamber.

The chairman cut his political teeth the old fashioned way, tending bar at a tavern owned by Gerald Gormley, the brother of former Senator Bill Gormley, Ye Old Midway Inn, where they forbade – without success – conversations about religion and politics.

There’s buzz around him.

Maybe he’ll take a crack at that seat now occupied by state Senator Jeff Van Drew (D-1) in the event that Van Drew guts through GOP opposition in the plus1 GOP district with Trump winds making a Democratic victory this year arguably more likely.

For the moment, the CD2 Congressional candidates mingled.

There was Brian Fitzherbert.

There was attorney Seth Grossman.

“Yes, I’m the most conservative person in the race,” said the movement conservative who wants Murphy infuriated old establishment wing of the party to align with the Tea Partiers and Trumpers.

“We need each other,” he said, mingling.

Linwood engineer Hirsh Singh, a rising star in the GOP, opted out of a U.S. Senate bid to snag Ocean County in his bid to be the nominee here in CD2.

He’s the only one here with two lines under his belt.

Then there was former Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi (R-1), who hovered on the tips of his loafers ever so briefly with a raised pen.

“So you can’t sign my petition then?” he said, when he learned that InsiderNJ isn’t here as a voting delegate.

Fiocchi’s the favorite here.

The odds-on favorite.

Vineland is his home town.

He’s got a single line already, and looking for some mo heading toward the weekend.

But Singh has worked his tail off, and appears to be knocking on his door, according to sources in the room.

The delegates – eligible voters – incidentally, kept coming, as the party organization prepared to hear from the candidates.

Testa gaveled the convention to order with a carafe of salad dressing.