One of the nicest Montclair Independence Day parades in memory took place on July 4, 2017, under perfect skies.

Pictured above are Montclair Republican Club President John Van Wagner, 34th Assembly District (NJ) candidate Nick Surgent, and his brother Mark Surgent.

Voters in the 34th Assembly District (East Orange, Orange, Montclair and Clifton) can visit with Nick on Thursday, August 3, 2017 at a private home in Montclair. Email montclairrepublicans@gmail.com for more information and to RSVP.

Here’s to a terrific year!

Come and Meet the Neighbors!  

The Montclair Republican Club and the Clifton Republican Club cordially invite all of their members, as well as friends and supporters, to our first joint meeting on Thursday, May 18  at 7:00 p.m. at the Bloomfield Town Pub.  It’s about time. 

For decades, now, Assembly elections in Essex County, so crucial to fiscal direction of our state, have come and gone under the radar. Every two years the public sector unions back entrenched incumbents who serve the interests of the progressive political class in Trenton. The result of these elections is never in doubt. 

It’s time for that to change.   This year, in honor of our first effort at District-wide club cooperation, we’ll be joined by Nick Surgent, a bold young Republican candidate for Assembly in District 34 (Montclair, Clifton, Orange and East Orange).   Please come, and get a glimpse into a brighter future for our respective communities, our State and our nation.

There’s no admission charge for this meeting.   You’re welcome to enjoy the hearty menu at the Town Pub, or just hoist a brew. Come and bring friends, and ideas about how disruptive  we inSURGENTS can be. RSVP to montclairrepublicans@gmail.com with ‘inSURGENT’ in the subject line.

About Nick Surgent:

Whether riding new waves or being old school, Montclair Republicans, conservatives, libertarians & independents are finding enjoyable ways to connect and communicate.

The 100+ year-old Montclair Republican Club believes in and maintains its century-old focus on sociable gatherings and presentations. Upcoming is a hospitable meet-and-greet on the evening of Primary Day, Tuesday, June 6, 7 pm for local Republicans, conservatives and conservative independents (and those who are transitioning from liberal to conservative) who would enjoy connecting with like-minded people at a special Montclair location (to be announced). Email montclairrepublicans@gmail.com to attend, with ‘June 6’ in the subject line. The success of last month’s Club luncheon featuring possible gubernatorial candidate Joe Piscopo proves the case that breaking bread together is still a favored form of bonding for conservatives and their guests. Remember to vote on June 6.

Digital media links individuals and organizations around the block and around the globe, almost effortlessly. In addition to the Montclair Republican Club’s Facebook page, similar hubs include the new discussion groups ‘Montclair Right-of-Center‘ (‘MRoC’) and ‘Montclair’s Other Watercooler,’ the latter for registered Montclair Republicans only. MRoC’s tagline is on the mark: ‘you are NOT alone!’ If you’re right of the political center, consider joining and ‘liking’ these groups and pages, especially if you DO feel ‘alone’ in your worldview as a Montclair resident.

Did you know Montclair has more than 9,000 independent voters, in addition to 13,000 Democrats and 2,500 Republicans?  No wonder the town has had the reputation of featuring 38,000 opinions: it is more diverse than suggested in chatrooms that focus on ‘progressive’ politics and ‘Montclair values.’

A new place for independents to gather is the Montclair Independents Facebook page, and it is yet to be seen if the town’s new weekly print and web publication, The Montclair Local, shows partisan stripes or merely reports on the town’s very vocal, active majority and thus appears to be left-leaning.

Mr. Piscopo and other conservative radio hosts are featured on 970 AM The Answer, while even Montclair’s mayor, Robert Jackson, listens to Mark Levin of 770 AM.  There are ample opportunities 24 / 7 to gather ’round the radio for centrist and conservative fireside chats.

A unique media product in New Jersey, the SAVE JERSEY blog appears to be the only conservative state-wide media outlet. Produced by South Jersey attorney Matt Rooney, Save Jersey is growing. [Addendum: a reader has mentioned new conservative media outlet, similar to the Drudge Report: Jersey Report]

Fifteen years ago, then-USA Today reporter Jill Lawrence created a ‘red vs. blue’ profile series featuring Montclair as a ‘liberal community’ profiled against Franklin, Tennessee as a ‘conservative community.’ Her fascinating multi-part series was proposed and researched just after the George Bush inauguration in 2001, and was interrupted by the events of 9/11. It ran in Gannett’s flagship national publication fifteen years ago, in February of 2002. Annotated syntheses for collegiate use are HERE, HERE and HERE ; click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE to read the original stories. Real-time Free Republic comments on the series are HERE.

From where do you get your news and information? What is your viewpoint or perspective? How do you form your opinions? How have journalism, information flow and politics changed in Montclair since Ms. Lawrence’s feature of 2002? Let us know at montclairrepublicans@gmail.com.

Joe Piscopo Addresses Montclair Republican Club on Wednesday, March 29, 12 noon

Entertainer, media personality and Essex County native Joe Piscopo will be the featured speaker at Montclair Republican Club’s sociable luncheon on Wednesday, March 29, 2017.

The 12 noon event will be held at Greek Taverna Restaurant, 292 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey. Tickets are $30 each, and can be purchased using Paypal or your credit card by clicking HERE.  A student (age 12 – 22) luncheon ticket is available for $10 by clicking HERE. For other payment arrangements, contact montclairrepublicans@gmail.com. Space is limited; reserve early.

Piscopo is said to be entertaining a run for governor of New Jersey as an Independent. Known until recently as a life-long Democrat, Piscopo transitioned his voter registration to ‘unaffiliated’ several years ago.

The Club has asked Mr. Piscopo to speak about his political evolution and his possible run for New Jersey governor, in addition to sharing a Sinatra standard or two.

Montclair Republican Club, founded in 1880, stands for liberty, limited government, and economic opportunity. It presents informative speakers and panel discussions in a sociable luncheon or dinner setting, and welcomes convivial, open-minded individuals from across the political spectrum to attend its presentations. Montclair Republicans & supporters have included abolitionist and suffragist Lucy Stone, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Montclair’s first African-American mayor, Matthew Carter, and Montclair’s first and only female mayor, Mary Mochary, among many other business, civic and social leaders. Join the Montclair Republican Club by clicking HERE.    ‘Like’ us on Facebook.

For more information, email montclairrepublicans@gmail.com.

More on Joe Piscopo: 

• http://observer.com/?s=piscopo
• https://www.facebook.com/Draft-Jersey-Joe-Piscopo-for-NJ-Governor-2017-1636544619941331/
• http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/03/is_joe_piscopo_really_running_for_nj_governor_and.html
• Listen to Joe on the radio at 970 AM 6-10 am Monday – Friday or on the web at http://am970theanswer.com/

To Montclair Republicans,

Roland Straten

2016 was certainly a momentous year for Republicans, who now control both houses of Congress and a majority of state governorships and legislatures, in addition to the U.S. Presidency. We have an unprecedented opportunity to move America in the direction that we want it to go, and ‘Make America Great Again.’

This confluence of events presents not only an opportunity, but a duty for all Republicans and reasonably-minded citizens of Montclair. I suggest that we continue to come out of the closet. So many people with whom I’ve spoken agree with our principles of limited government, economic opportunity, and personal liberty/responsibility.

Come to Republican Club meetings and events, and join the Club. Become a Republican Committee member. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind.

Tell people that Montclair was made into such a wonderful town by Republicans. Tell them that overreaching government regulation and mandates cripple our economy. Tell them that our current immigration policies, tax policies, welfare policies, education policies, environmental policies and bail-out-Wall-Street policies hurt the poor and middle class rather than help them.

For more information on what Republicans can do in Montclair, email MontclairRepublicans@gmail.com.

Happy New Year…and let’s get to work!

Roland Straten, Chairman, Montclair Republican Town Committee

A Message from Montclair Republican Club President John Van Wagner:

It Was A Year to Remember

John Van Wagner

Although 2016 was a year of multiple surprises and many blessings, my thoughts are firmly in the future. There are so many opportunities before us in the coming year as conservatives, and the Montclair Republican Club has a crucial role to play in our community as the nation undergoes a radical transformation.

We’ve always been a ‘safe space’ for those in our town who’ve felt silenced. But now that a shift in power has taken hold nation-wide, we, too, can throw off Progressivism at the county and local levels.

After the recent election, local Democratic Freeholder Brendan Gill pledged to work with his colleagues in Newark and Trenton to ‘protect’ our community from the ‘incursion’ of lighter, saner taxation, regulatory relief, and judicial restraint. This year, let’s show him that we consider that ‘protection’ to be tyranny, and that we won’t allow a county political machine to dictate who governs us and how.

As has been for the past fifty years, this is an uphill battle. But the events of this year must embolden us to speak out, to talk to neighbors, to bring new members into the fold who will help us to accelerate the process of the change we so desperately need. It’s not easy, but this time the country is behind us.

Let’s have the most energized and hopeful New Year the Montclair Republicans have had in a long, long time.

Thanks for your support and dedication. Happy New Year.

Very truly yours,

John Van Wagner

And the gates came crashing down. 

Club Hosts Navy Intelligence Analyst Steve Rogers: Tuesday, October 4, 7 pm

Reserve Your Dinner Meeting Ticket Now: Nutley Town Commissioner, U.S. Air Force & Navy veteran, Fox  News analyst and Trump campaign advisor Steve Rogers will address the Montclair Republican Club on Tuesday, October 4, 7 pm. We’ll return to Greek Taverna (292 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair) for yet another terrific gathering ($35/pp). Purchase your ticket using Paypal, debit or credit card by clicking HERE or send your RSVP to montclairrepublicans@gmail.com to arrange payment.

This election-season meeting is a great opportunity to introduce your sociable friends, neighbors and your family’s young adults to the Montclair Republican Club. See you on the 4th.

See and hear Commissioner Rogers in a 2015 interview on the subjects of ISIS and terrorism by clicking HERE.