Hudson County Republican Party Gets Former Hoboken School Candidate As Director

HOBOKEN, NJ — The Republican party in Hudson County rarely wins elections countywide, or in many of the 12 towns in the county. But their newly announced director has gained visibility in Hoboken elections, and will now have that chance countywide.

On Monday, the county's Republican party announced that they have named Hoboken resident Pavel Sokolov as the new executive director.

Sokolov, who was involved in politics as a student at Rutgers, gained some prominence in Hoboken in 2022 when he became part of a bipartisan effort to rally support against a proposed $241M overhaul of public school facilities. While many residents vocally supported the upgrade, others argued that it would be too costly for the taxpayers, or said the schools should focus on other issues first. The referendum was overwhelmingly rejected in January 2022.

However, months later, Sokolov, as one of three candidates in Hoboken's nonpartisan school election, failed to garner enough support to win a spot on the board— especially as one of his runningmate's comments in a New Jersey political group were revealed, including calling parents "sheep."

Sokolov's opponents also pointed out his endorsement of Donald Trump for re-election to president.

No Countywide Republican Candidate

As of last month, Hudson County had 220,032 residents who had registered as members of the Democratic Party, and 44,902 registered Republicans.

Recently, when Democratic County Executive Tom DeGise announced his retirement, he endorsed his own chief of staff, Craig Guy, to replace him in the role. In the June primary, the county Republicans did not put forth a candidate by the filing deadline.

Guy defeated a Democratic challenger in the primary, Eleana Little, from a group called the Hudson County Progressive Democrats, by a vote of 3 to 1, and will now run in November.

Within individual cities like Hoboken, it's usually the powerful local Democratic Committee and Republican Committees that support candidates for countywide and citywide office. For more than three decades, the leaders of Hoboken's Democratic party have often been people whose family income was dependent on the current City Hall administration, while the Republican chair has often been a vocal opponent. The city's Republican party suffered from infighting in 2021, putting it on unsteady ground.

Besides being named county director, Sokolov is the current secretary of the Hoboken Republicans.

His new slot is an unpaid position.

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The county Republican chair sent out this announcement on Monday:

Announcement from Hudson County Republicans

Jose Arango, Chairman of the Hudson County Republican Party and the New Jersey GOP County Chair Association, is proud to announce Pavel Sokolov as the Executive Director of the Hudson County Republican Party. Sokolov will be replacing Daniel Beckelman, the newly elected Aberdeen Republican Municipal Chairman.

“Pavel has been instrumental in growing the Republican party throughout Hudson County” said Chairman Arango. “Thanks to his contributions our county committee membership has grown in number as well as the recent surge in registered Republican voters. His leadership will be key in ensuring strong Republican turnout in Hudson County this November and beyond. Pavel has experience in building bridges between neighbors and reaching across the aisle to advocate for the needs of Hudson County’s residents. We are excited to see him do the same on behalf of our candidates.”

In response, Pavel shared, “I am excited for this new opportunity to further my commitment to
the people of Hudson County and to ensure that Republican voices are no longer marginalized but represented in every decision-making conversation. We will build on recent victories like the election of Marcos Arroyo in West New York, and continue to advocate for responsible spending, resident focused policies, and a genuinely inclusive county and municipal government.”

Pavel Sokolov, a graduate of Rutgers University and Baruch College, is a licensed NY CPA. He currently serves as the Hoboken Republican Party Executive Secretary, New Jersey Young Republican Treasurer and is coordinating campaigns in Hoboken, Jersey City, Kearny, and Bayonne. Previously, Sokolov led the Hudson County Young Republicans.

Jose Arango
Hudson County Republican Party Chairman
New Jersey GOP County Chair’s Association Chairman