The National Implications of Bashaw v. Serrano Glassner

Donald Trump lives in New Jersey – part of the time at least. So it’s no surprise that he looms large over Tuesday’s Senate primary between Christine Serrano Glassner and Curtis Bashaw.

A Republican primary for U.S. Senate would ordinarily not be very important in New Jersey, a place where Democrats have won every Senate election for more than 50 years.

But then, there’s Trump.

He has made the Senate primary a big deal in New Jersey – and in some ways, across the nation.

Trump endorsed Serrano Glassner during his Wildwood rally three weeks ago, thereby giving a big boost to a candidate with a very low, statewide profile. She is the mayor of Mendham Borough, a wealthy enclave of about 5,000 in Morris County. This is not a job that garners widespread attention.

Her opponent, Bashaw, is a hotel and inn operator from Cape May.

Trump, true to form, said one of the reasons he’s backing the mayor is because Bashaw is friends with Chris Christie.

While that may make the endorsement seem a bit less than genuine,  Serrano Glassner, not surprisingly, is embracing it – big time. A picture of Trump and the candidate is front and center on her social media page.

This raises some obvious questions.

Trump’s supporters in New Jersey – and elsewhere – are a very passionate lot. But how numerous are they?

Eight years or so since Trump arrived on the scene, some  Republicans are no longer enamored with him.

That includes Jon Bramnick, a 2025 Republican gubernatorial candidate, who has publicly criticized Trump.

Clearly, it is this group Bashaw is aiming for.

In conversations with Bashaw supporters last week in Hunterdon County, the prevailing view seemed to be that Trump’s endorsement, notwithstanding, Bashaw is the best candidate to go up against Andy Kim this fall.

Fair point.

But Bashaw has to get there first.

He has spent the last  week or so travelling the state to visit diners, farmers’ markets and the like – events that are announced in advance on his social media pages.

Serrano Glassner is doing the same – somewhat.

In contrast to Bashaw, her events are not publicly announced. And her campaign has ignored requests for her public schedule.

The apparent conclusion is that the campaign thinks Trump’s support is just about all she needs.

That may turn out to be the case, but one is reminded of something Trump said when he endorsed Serrano Glassner back in Wildwood.

It was something along the lines of don’t disappoint me.

So the pressure is on.

 

 

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11 responses to “The National Implications of Bashaw v. Serrano Glassner”

  1. NEVER HEARD OF EITHER ONE OF THESE CANDIDATES SO DAY BEFORE ELECTION IS WHEN THEY COME OUT? MAYBE ITS Eenie, meenie, miney, moe.

  2. TIME FOR US -THE REPUBLICANS- TO “CIRCLE THE WAGONS”: If Trump has endorsed Serrano-Glassner,
    we respect his superior knowledge & experience with
    the candidates, and we shall vote for Serrano-Glassner!

  3. A “convicted felon” due to a flawed judicial system with political motivations and a very biased judge and jury!

  4. Glassner is almost as corrupt as Trump . She steered a major property development inside Mendham to her friends at Weichert, despite their have zero experience with this kind of project. She did it underhandedly and lied about it when questioned about it. Shocking, not!

  5. I know Christine Serrano Glassner personally, so I understand bias concerns about my opinion. But, I assure the voters as follows: Her concerns about the State take into account, in part, what kind of governance she wants in place for her children, their friends and other young adults. She has “mom vision” and we just might need that for all NJ residents of every age group.

  6. Bashaw has a long-standing history of active civic engageement, and a very clever businessman. I speak from experience as one of his formar compeators (innkeping)

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