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Following the primary elections that took place two weeks ago, Asbury Park Republicans have selected Louise Murray as their chairperson.

“I’m excited about the whole committee right now,” Murray said this week. “Everyone is dedicated.”

The Republican committee holds elections every two years for two representatives — one male, one female — from each of the city’s nine election districts. The committee is responsible for overseeing the GOP’s interests in the city. Each member also votes for the county Republican chairperson, as well as for the chairperson of the organization in Asbury Park.

This year, only 11 of the 18 spots for the Republican committee were filled. There is usually a male and female delegate from each of the nine districts in the city.

The first district has one delegate, Vernice McGriff. The second district’s delegates are Bennett Schneider and Rosemary E. Smentkowski, and the third district has no delegates. In the fourth district, Anthony Perillo is the only delegate. In the fifth district, John McCarthy and Bess McCarthy are delegates. In the sixth district, George Kary and Louise Murray are delegates. There are no seventh-district delegates. The eighth-district delegates are Ernest Cote and Rita Marano. The only delegate in the ninth district is Robert Leitner.

“Right now, we’re concentrating on getting a committee person for every one of our districts,” Murray said. “But it looks like we’re on the right track. We’re really moving forward and I feel really positive about the whole thing.”

The committee members will concentrate on re-energizing the Republicans in the city, Murray said. Voters in Asbury Park have traditionally voted heavily Democratic.

“The government right now has too much to say and it’s taken over,” she said. “This isn’t the way it was meant to be from the get-go.”

Murray is also a former Asbury Park city councilwoman.

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