Monmouth County Clerk Hanlon: Why I'm Running For Re-Election

MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — There will be an election for Monmouth County Clerk this November; voters will be asked to choose the same day as the presidential election.

Current Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon, a Republican, is running for re-election. She is running with the support of the Monmouth County Republican Party.

She will be challenged by Angela Ahbez-Anderson, a Democrat, backed by Monmouth County Democrats.

Patch asked both candidates to fill out the same questionnaire, and these are Hanlon's answers:

Christine Giordano Hanlon Esq.

Age (as of Election Day): 52

Position Sought: County Clerk

Party Affiliation: Republican

Family: Husband and four children

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Education: Christine received her law degree from Fordham University in 1992, following her graduation from Barnard College, Columbia University. After graduation from law school, she was Law Clerk to the Honorable A. Simon Chrein, Chief United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York, from 1992 to 1993.

Occupation: Christine Giordano Hanlon, Esq. has served as Monmouth County Clerk since 2015. Prior to being appointed as Clerk, Christine was Of Counsel to the law firm of Archer & Greiner, PC, one of the largest law firms in the state of New Jersey. She practiced law for over 20 years and has focused her legal practice on government affairs and municipal law. She is also a former Commissioner on the Monmouth County Board of Elections, serving as Secretary for two years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Serving as Monmouth County Clerk for the past five years. Christine currently serves as President Elect of the Monmouth County Bar Association and a Trustee for the Monmouth County Bar Foundation. She is the Vice Chair of the Monmouth County S.P.C.A. and on the Board of Directors for the Monmouth Chapter of the Council of Boy Scouts. She serves on the Executive Board for the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey and is a member of the State of New Jersey Blockchain Task Force.

Campaign website: https://christinehanlon.vote/ or http://monmouthrepublican.org/

Why are you seeking elective office? I have been serving as the Monmouth County Clerk for the past five years. It is my great honor to serve the residents of Monmouth County as one of the four County Constitutional Officers. I have always had a passion for public service, and have held roles in public service throughout my life both in a professional and volunteer capacity.

Since becoming Clerk, I have been dedicated to better serving the residents of Monmouth County with the implementation of new and improved government services, as well as the overall modernization of the County Clerk’s Office. I would like to continue this work and build on the progress I have made thus far. I would be honored to be re-elected by the residents of Monmouth County to serve as Monmouth County Clerk for another five-year term.

The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issue facing our community is the coronavirus pandemic. Not only are we facing a health crisis of a highly contagious virus, but also the devastating effects to our community that the stay at home restrictions have caused. Throughout this crisis my office was at the forefront of providing key information and resources to the community. We created a central web page for official government notifications relating to closures, curfews, and updates about government operations in Monmouth County so our residents could keep up to date with the rapidly evolving situation. In addition, we continued our property recording operation so that residents could continue their real estate transactions during the pandemic, and we found innovative ways to still be able to provide other services. I will continue to find ways to help our residents get through this crisis.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My experience as an attorney, a Commissioner on the Monmouth County Board of Elections and as County Clerk for the past five years makes me uniquely qualified for this position. Prior to being elected as County Clerk, I practiced law for over 20 years, focusing my legal practice, most recently, on government affairs and municipal law. As a former Commissioner on the Monmouth County Board of Elections, serving as Secretary for two years, I developed a full understanding of the election process and the issues involved with effectuating free and fair elections. My past five years of service as County Clerk have educated me as to all of the issues and requirements of running the Office of the County Clerk.

I am also involved in many organizations throughout the County, giving me a broad perspective as to the needs of our community. I currently serve as the Vice Chair of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), working closely with the SPCA Board of Trustees and leadership to ensure that the SPCA is able to provide a safe haven for animals while they await adoption, veterinary care, as well as advocate for the shelter and its animals. I am also on the Executive Board of the Monmouth County Bar Association and a Trustee for the Monmouth County Bar Foundation. I also serve as a Trustee for the Monmouth Council of Boy Scouts and as Secretary for the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey.

My background in law enforcement, as an assistant county prosecutor in Bronx, N.Y. and more recently as a municipal prosecutor in Monmouth County, also demonstrates that I support the law enforcement and first responder community, and will always work to support those who put themselves in harm's way for the good of the community.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency):

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: My campaign is about providing the highest quality and most accessible services to our Monmouth County residents. Since becoming County Clerk, I have initiated many programs to better serve the public, and to make the public more aware of our services.

I created a new website for the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office with a focus on customer navigation and better access to the public. In addition, since the County Clerk also serves as the Clerk of Elections for the County of Monmouth, I created a voter education website, MonmouthCountyVotes.com, in conjunction with the two other Monmouth County Election Offices. The elections website is a one-stop shop for voters and candidates to access election information, and includes an “Election Night Reporting” website to provide election results online in real-time. I also created the “Monmouth County Votes” Mobile App providing elections information and deadlines, including push notification reminders. In addition, I initiated the “Your Vote Matters” Program through which I visit local high schools to educate students about voting and encourage young people to be involved in the democratic process.

To support our veterans in the county, I also created the “Honoring our Heroes” Military Appreciation Program, which encourages local businesses to offer special services to Monmouth County’s veterans and Gold Star parents. The program provides a way for local businesses to honor our veterans and Gold Star parents, and to in-turn, give them the ability to receive valuable discounts. Since initiating the program in 2015, the “Honoring our Heroes” program has expanded to include hundreds of stores, restaurants, and other businesses within the county.

In coordination with Sheriff Shaun Golden and Surrogate Rosemarie Peters, I launched the first-ever Mobile County Connection to bring the government services from their respective offices directly to the people, by visiting various libraries, communities, and municipalities throughout the County. I also worked with Golden and Peters to open a Mobile County Connection storefront at the Monmouth Mall which serves as a satellite office and is open on the first Thursday of each month.

In an effort to help combat the effects of property fraud, I implemented the Property Fraud Alert service which is a free subscription service that allows Monmouth County property owners to have their name/property monitored within the Recording Division of the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office, in order to track possibly fraudulent activity. Subscribers are then notified when the name they have submitted to the alert system is used in any recording activities within the office.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

One of the most important qualifications for this position is strong leadership. Throughout my life, I have held many leadership positions and have been recognized by various organizations in this regard. These awards include: 2020 Women of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore; 2020 Woman of History from the New Jersey Daughters of the American Revolution; 2019 Silver Gull Award for Government Leadership from the Monmouth-Ocean Development Council; 2018 Person of the Year Award from the Monmouth County Fraternal Order of Police, Superior Officer’s Lodge #30; 2017 Spinnaker Award for Public Service from the Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce; 2005 “Outstanding Chamber Service Award” from the Greater Ocean Twp. Chamber of Commerce; 2004 Young Lawyers’ from the Monmouth Bar Association.

The best advice ever shared with me was: “Always do your best and the rest will take care of itself.”

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

During my tenure as Clerk, I have sought to provide our wonderful residents of Monmouth County with the highest quality of service. I believe my record as Clerk, including the many new initiatives I have spearheaded, show that I am dedicated to the position and will always try to think of new ideas to better serve the public.

The primary election has been pushed back to July 7; the general election is in November.