It’s the end of an era in Delaware County politics.
The reins of power have been passed. It remains to be seen if the reign of power of the county GOP will go with it. But if so, it will have to get by without the gentleman who has headed the party for more than three decades.
There are no shortage of Republicans in this county who believe – wrongly, I might add – that the mission of this newspaper is to knock them off their perch. They believe we never miss an opportunity to focus on their foibles, and overlook the same kind of shenanigans from Democrats. Very simply, they believe we are biased in our coverage and tilt consistently to Democratic beliefs.
It has led to some fairly colorful conversations and some raised voices.
Not once did I ever have such a conversation with Tom Judge Sr. I can think of no other word to describe the longtime boss of the county GOP than gentleman. Maybe in private he ruled with an iron fist. But to me he never as much as uttered a harsh word.
I have met Judge at countless events and functions over the years. He never shied away once. In fact, at times he seemed to seem me out.
Unfailingly, he offered a warm smile and a handshake.
I would always ask him the same question. “How are we treating you?” His response was always the same. He’d simply smile and say, “Oh, fine.”
Judge ended 34 years as the leader of the county Republican Party Monday night, handing over the torch to former County Council Chairman and Middletown Republican leader Andy Reilly.
Judge now becomes “chairman emeritus,” but he made it clear that ship is now Reilly’s to run.
He will be hard-pressed to match the record put together by Judge.
During his reign Republicans, helped in no small part by what until recently was an overwhelming edge in voter registration, have held sway over the county courthouse and most of the county.
Democrats have been chipping away at their fortress, making gains in registration and winning some towns, but have been unable to as much as dent the GOP stranglehold on the courthouse.
Judge is now 80. He had led the GOP since 1975.
He leaves a political legacy that the party will be hard-pressed to match as the demographics of the county continue to shift.
But that’s not what I will miss most. I will miss that smile and those warm handshakes.
I will miss a true gentleman in a business that features far too few of them.
The reins of power have been passed. It remains to be seen if the reign of power of the county GOP will go with it. But if so, it will have to get by without the gentleman who has headed the party for more than three decades.
There are no shortage of Republicans in this county who believe – wrongly, I might add – that the mission of this newspaper is to knock them off their perch. They believe we never miss an opportunity to focus on their foibles, and overlook the same kind of shenanigans from Democrats. Very simply, they believe we are biased in our coverage and tilt consistently to Democratic beliefs.
It has led to some fairly colorful conversations and some raised voices.
Not once did I ever have such a conversation with Tom Judge Sr. I can think of no other word to describe the longtime boss of the county GOP than gentleman. Maybe in private he ruled with an iron fist. But to me he never as much as uttered a harsh word.
I have met Judge at countless events and functions over the years. He never shied away once. In fact, at times he seemed to seem me out.
Unfailingly, he offered a warm smile and a handshake.
I would always ask him the same question. “How are we treating you?” His response was always the same. He’d simply smile and say, “Oh, fine.”
Judge ended 34 years as the leader of the county Republican Party Monday night, handing over the torch to former County Council Chairman and Middletown Republican leader Andy Reilly.
Judge now becomes “chairman emeritus,” but he made it clear that ship is now Reilly’s to run.
He will be hard-pressed to match the record put together by Judge.
During his reign Republicans, helped in no small part by what until recently was an overwhelming edge in voter registration, have held sway over the county courthouse and most of the county.
Democrats have been chipping away at their fortress, making gains in registration and winning some towns, but have been unable to as much as dent the GOP stranglehold on the courthouse.
Judge is now 80. He had led the GOP since 1975.
He leaves a political legacy that the party will be hard-pressed to match as the demographics of the county continue to shift.
But that’s not what I will miss most. I will miss that smile and those warm handshakes.
I will miss a true gentleman in a business that features far too few of them.
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