Instant memento: Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre in his office with a campaign sign earlier this month. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi)
Coming off a disappointing failure to win the backing of GOP powerbrokers in Monmouth County, Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre has quit his run for Congress, according to an announcement from his camp Tuesday afternoon.
Here’s the full statement:
HALFACRE TO SUSPEND CAMPAIGN OPERATIONS IN NJ-12
Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre, 12th District Republican congressional candidate, released the following statement today:
“In light of the results of the last several weeks, I will be suspending my campaign operations as of today and will no longer seek the Republican nomination for Congress from the 12th District of New Jersey. I spoke with Scott Sipprelle a short time ago, wished him luck, and offered my help in any way possible to achieve our mutual goal: removing America’s most liberal Congressman, Rush Holt, from office.
This is a difficult decision, mostly because of the responsibility I feel toward the many, many people who have supported me over the last year. I would like to publicly thank all of those people for their passion, determination, loyalty and selflessness.
It has truly been a humbling and inspiring experience to meet so many new people who were willing to give their time, efforts, or resources in support of my candidacy. I look forward to maintaining those friendships, and working with the people in the 12th District to elect Republicans to office at all levels of government.
Primaries are divisive by their nature, but as long as they are not destructive I believe they make the victorious candidate stronger. I know I will be a better candidate in the future for having gone through this, and I know Scott Sipprelle is a stronger candidate today then the day he got into the race.
I believe that in a primary, you give it your best effort and you shake hands like gentlemen at the end, win or lose. Because I believe that, I am asking my supporters to do what I am going to do: give their full support to Scott Sipprelle in his effort to defeat Rush Holt. The faster we unite in this worthy effort, the stronger we will become, and the better chance we will have to send Rush Holt packing.”
