MONMOUTH COUNTY - This is Republican terrain - Donald Trump won here last year by about 40,000 votes.

The upcoming primary, however, rests on precisely what a "true" Republican is.

That debate - really it's a perennial one - has fueled primary challenges for county commissioner, county clerk and the state Assembly, which is where we turn now.

LD-13 covers 16 Monmouth towns. The incumbents are Assembly members Vicky Flynn and Gerry Scharfenberger. Two years ago, they had no primary opponent.

Now in this new world of no county line, they do.

Rich Castaldo is the challenger. He is officially running against both incumbents, but he is clearly targeting Flynn.

Castaldo describes himself as a Republican strategist and communications director and a film writer and producer.

He says he will "stand with President Trump and His America First Policies."  His social media page features a photo of him with RFK Jr, for whom, he says, he wrote campaign speeches.

Castaldo lists Serena DiMaso as one of his supporters. DiMaso is a former Assemblywoman who lost a convention fight to Flynn in 2021.

This year's race got off to a colorful start when there were petition challenges from both sides. A judge dismissed them all.

In targeting Flynn, Castaldo brings up her financial support from the New Jersey Education Association. His point is simple - the NJEA is a liberal organization that backs transgender men in women's sports and opposes Trump.

Flynn does have an education background. She is a former president of the Holmdel Board of Education. The larger issue has come up before in state politics. The NJEA's tendency is to often support incumbents regardless of party. It's a cynical ploy, perhaps, but it tends to get results.

Castaldo lists a number of basic GOP points on his website. They include fixing the school funding formula, eliminating sanctuary cities and fighting "unlawful lock downs."  More creatively, he wants New Jersey to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve.

Primaries, of course, are not usually about issues. They can turn on such things as, who is the "real" Republican?

Flynn is the one being targeted, but both incumbents are responding to Castaldo's candidacy.

In a joint statement, Flynn and Scharfenberger said:

“Rich Castaldo is not a leader - he’s a fraud, plain and simple. He has no record of service, no connection to the community, and no credibility with Republican voters in LD-13. He distorts his past, fabricates his political identity, and manipulates the truth to suit his personal ambitions. That’s not someone prepared to serve the public. Our focus is on building the Republican Party for long-term success - not tearing it down like Castaldo and his supporters.”

Flynn added on her own:

“Rich Castaldo was a registered Democrat until just recently and continues to be embraced by Democratic insiders. His candidacy undermines the integrity of the Republican primary process. District 13 doesn’t elect Democrats, and we won’t start now.”

The incumbents presented data showing that Castaldo hasn't voted all that often and that he once was a registered Democrat.

Castaldo dismissed the point about party affiliation, noting that Ronald Reagan and, more relevantly locally, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, were Democrats.

"This is an insiders' game," he said. "They're trying to hold onto power."

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