GOP trio take fight to Dem freeholders

Two veteran Republican campaigners and a young political newcomer are challenging three incumbents in Tuesday's election, hoping to break Democratic domination on the Middlesex County freeholder board.

Candice Greaux, a 23-year-old Rutgers University student who has worked on several campaigns, is running as a Republican with Lynda Woods Cleary of South Brunswick and Richard Frank of South Plainfield.

They face Freeholders H. James Polos of Highland Park, Ronald Rios of Carteret and Carol Barrett of South Brunswick.

Greaux and Barrett are running for a two-year unexpired term. Cleary, Frank, Polos and Rios are seeking the two full three-year terms.

Democrats have controlled all seven seats on the county's governing body for 13 years. They hold a large advantage in Middlesex County, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a margin of more than 2-to-1.

"I think it's time to have a little more representation than just one party," said Frank, 72, who previously ran for freeholder in Somerset County. A Marine Corps veteran, Frank has been commander of the American Legion Post 243 in South Plainfield.

The three Democratic candidates have raised more than $415,000 for mailings and other advertisements, according to reports filed with the state. Republicans, by comparison, have a tiny fraction of that amount.

Greaux grew up in Edison and has been a volunteer on several municipal and state campaigns. She served as a student senator at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, where she is studying political science and public policy. She also works part-time.

"We should increase the visibility of what's going on with the budget. We need to make things more clear," said Greaux.

All three GOP candidates want county government to be more open.

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