Gloucester County GOP Chooses Shivery To Run For Surrogate

Greenwich Township Mayor George W. Shivery, Jr.

Gloucester County Republicans have chosen Greenwich Township (Gibbstown) Mayor George W. Shivery, Jr. as their candidate for County Surrogate.

The Surrogate position had to be added to this year’s general election ballot as a result of a vacancy created upon the passing of former Surrogate Helene Reed.

Shivery is currently the longest serving Republican mayor in Gloucester County. He is a proven vote getter winning re-election to a sixth consecutive term last year in a Township with a roughly 5-1 voter registration disadvantage for the Republican. Gloucester County GOP Chairwoman Jacci Vigilante said in a statement from the Shivery campaign, “He’s obviously got the ability to bring Democrats into the Republican column. As an organization we’re excited to have him on the countywide ticket.”

Shivery last sought higher office in 2009. He and former Cumberland County Surrogate Art Marchand were backed by the state GOP in what became a circus of a primary election. Then Gloucester County Chairwoman Loran Oglesby refused to give the Marchand-Shivery ticket the line, instead placing all candidates in the column with the organization’s slogan and Marchand and Shivery being bracketed pulled lousy ballot position. The folks in Salem County were okay with Shivery but preferred Robert Villare to Marchand and only Villare used the county’s slogan. Only Cumberland County gave the line to Marchand-Shivery and former Chairman Bob Greco’s line held. The strength of their victory in Salem County led to a win for Villare and Lee Lucas, a frequent caller to The Bob & Steve Show.

Despite the loss, Shivery didn’t go away and hosted Chris Christie’s town hall with Neil Cavuto at Gibbstown’s Broad Street School. Shivery packed the place to standing room only even though Christie’s staff doubted Shivery’s ability to do so. I know because I had just arrived for a visit from New Mexico and received a call from Christie staff suggesting they might bring pipes and draping in case the crowd wasn’t big enough.

While Shivery has always been a team player, he was the first South Jersey mayor to endorse Christie for Governor, he always puts his constituents first. When Christie was busy preparing to run for president a freak, macroburst storm hit Gloucester County, leaving most of Gibbstown without power for days. Shivery could get no satisfaction from the Governor’s office, so he put the town’s residents before politics and called Christie out for his refusal to declare an emergency.

Shivery did more than call out Christie after that storm. After learning the Volunteers of America facility that houses senior citizens was without power he enlisted the help of former NRA Field Coordinator Christian Ragosta and provided bagels, coffee, donuts and water to residents that were unable to get upstairs to their rooms because the elevators didn’t work. Shivery was everywhere in town, helping however he could.

Shivery is a proven vote getter who understands the difference between good campaigning and good government and will be of value to the Republican ticket in Gloucester County this year. Following is the press release announcing his candidacy for Surrogate:

Gloucester County Republican Executive Committee Chooses Shivery

Greenwich Township Mayor George W. Shivery, Jr. to run for Gloucester County Surrogate

GIBBSTOWN – At a meeting of the Gloucester County Republican Executive Committee yesterday held in Mullica Hill, Greenwich Township Mayor George W. Shivery, Jr. was selected as the GOP’s candidate for Gloucester County Surrogate in the upcoming special election.

“I was happy to give Mayor Shivery the news that he was unanimously selected as our candidate for Surrogate,” Gloucester County Republican Chairwoman Jacci Vigilante said. “Last year George won his sixth term as mayor of Greenwich Township, despite a voter registration disadvantage of roughly 5-1. He’s obviously got the ability to bring Democrats into the Republican column. As an organization we’re excited to have him on the countywide ticket.”

Shivery is in his 16th year as mayor of Greenwich Township. Prior to winning election as mayor Shivery was on the Greenwich Township Board of Education for six years and served as its Vice President.

“I’m thankful for the confidence the Gloucester County Republican Executive Committee has in me and look forward to an aggressive campaign season,” Mayor George W. Shivery, Jr. said. “Given that very few people know what the Surrogate does, as a career educator, it’ll be important that I make certain voters know what their County Surrogate does, make the difference between my opponent and me clear and show why I’m the better choice for the position.”

Shivery added, “The Surrogate’s office is actually very well run, I don’t see myself trying to fix something that isn’t broken. I believe the position is largely administrative and since I have served as our Township Administrator at no additional cost to taxpayers since 2006, who better to be the next Surrogate.”

“I look forward to working with Chairwoman Vigilante and her team to bring voters into the Republican column up and down the ballot,” Shivery said.

George W. Shivery, Jr. was re-elected Mayor of Greenwich Township for his sixth consecutive term on November 7, 2017. Prior to becoming Mayor in 2002 Shivery served for six years on the Greenwich Township Board of Education, four of those years as Vice President, a Commissioner on the New Jersey Mosquito Commission and a past president of the Gloucester County Mayor’s Association.

Active in the community, Shivery is a member of VFW Post #5579 Auxiliary (his father was a charter member and past Commander of the Post), a member of the Board of Education of Guardian Angles Regional Catholic School, President of Mullica Hill Rifle and Pistol Club, a member of the Elks Lodge and the Loyal Order of the Moose.

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