National GOP Pulls Endorsement For N.J. Congressional Candidate

The National Republican Congressional Committee has pulled its support for a controversial South Jersey candidate, and the Democrats in Atlantic County are calling on local Republicans to do the same. The committee initially endorsed Seth Grossman’s bid to replace retiring Rep. Frank LoBiondo in the Second Congressional District after Grossman won the June 6 primary.

Since then, Grossman made national headlines when he said “diversity is crap.” On Monday, the left-leaning Media Matters for America published a report saying Grossman has promoted propaganda from White Nationalists, including a piece that says black people are a threat to everyone they encounter. He was also named one of the eight biggest bigots on the ballot in the 2018 elections by Rolling Stone.

“Bigotry has no place in society—let alone the U.S. House of Representatives,” NRCC Chair Steve Stivers said, according to CNN. “The NRCC withdraws our support of Seth Grossman and calls on him to reconsider his candidacy. The people of New Jersey's Second District deserve an inclusive Republican candidate who will be a trusted conservative voice in Congress.”

Grossman fired back early Tuesday afternoon, saying Stivers should resign due to the fact that he doesn't support Republican candidates who are pro-Trump. A failure by national Republicans to support those who back the president will lead to Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives in November.

“Instead of calling on me to get out of the race, the NRCC should support candidates who support the president’s agenda,” Grossman said. “They should stop giving ammo to the radical left to use against Republican candidates. Steve Stivers should resign immediately for failure to support the president and his agenda.”

He also fired back at Media Matters for America.

“In 2014, the same Media Matters falsely attacking me, led the call to protest our police officers, leading to many of their deaths,” Grossman said. “Republican leaders in Washington, and career politicians like Jeff Van Drew, should apply the same standards to those whose false and hateful generalizations helped cause the deaths of 126 police officers in 2016.”

Back in May, Stivers said New Jersey’s Second Congressional District was a “recruiting hole” for the GOP. He later took that statement back after meeting with Hirsh Singh.

“I just met Hirsh Singh, who is an impressive candidate with a compelling personal story,” Stivers said at the time. “If the other candidates are as strong as Hirsh, I am confident we are going to win the seat.”

However, it was Grossman who won the primary despite not winning the endorsement of any of the county Republican parties in the district. The district includes all of Atlantic, Cape May, Salem and Cumberland counties, as well as parts of Ocean, Gloucester, Camden and Burlington counties.

Grossman is set to run against Democratic State Sen. Jeff Van Drew in November. Van Drew has said he doesn’t connect other Republicans with Grossman’s comments, and several big name Republicans had already distanced themselves from Grossman before the NRCC announcement.

Atlantic County Democratic Committee Chairman Michael Suleiman has been critical of incumbent Republican Freeholders Frank Formica, Maureen Kern and James Bertino for not denouncing Grossman, and he reiterated that criticism on Monday.

“This is the height of hypocrisy,” Suleiman said in a statement. “The NRCC finally did the right thing and pulled their support for Seth Grossman, but yet we've heard radio silence from Frank Formica and the rest of the Republican Freeholder Board. While the National Republican Congressional Committee has withdrawn its support for Grossman's candidacy for Congress, not one Republican elected official nor candidate for office in Atlantic County has done so, including Freeholders Frank Formica, Maureen Kern, and James Bertino.

“You can't have your cake and eat it, too. If the Republicans are too afraid to alienate their far-right base by denouncing Mr. Grossman, then I suggest they find another industry to work in.”

Grossman said the national attacks from his own party are “bizarre” to anyone from Atlantic County who has known Grossman for any significant amount of time.

“I've been an outspoken opponent of racism and anti-Semitism for decades — everyone knows that,” Grossman said. “But what is just crazy is how the National Republican Party is freaking out over sharing a post from Allen West, a retired Black Army Commander.

“Republicans have to stop worrying about offending people and start telling the truth about some of the problems we have in this country. President Trump won because he recognized what 17 other Republican candidates and the NRCC chair didn't see — that Americans want straight talk, not weak and timid career politicians afraid to tell the truth.”

See related: Diversity ‘A Bunch Of Crap’: NJ Congressional Candidate

The attached image was posted on the Grossman For Congress Facebook Page