Gloucester Twp. Man to Serve as Delegate at GOP National Convention

When Republicans converge on Tampa, FL, in late August for the GOP National Convention, a Gloucester Township man will be one of the few from South Jersey there at Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Blackwood resident Dennis Palmer will be among New Jersey's 50 delegates pledging support for GOP presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney throughout the convention and most notably when the former Massachusetts governor is introduced to party leaders as their candidate on Aug. 30.

He is one of just four New Jersey 1st Congressional District delegates scheduled to make the trip to the Aug. 27-30 convention, according to the state Republican Party office.

"It's exciting and certainly humbling to be recognized and have the confidence of the party and those in the party that represent this district and the people who live in this district," Palmer said.

Camden County Republican Committee Chairman Thomas Booth nominated Palmer for the Romney delegate position earlier this year.

"The presidential race is the Super Bowl of politics. The convention is kind of like the mini-Super Bowl, or playoffs, I guess, of some degree in politics," Palmer said. "It's nice to have that recognition that the party recognizes you for your service to the community."

Palmer was a Romney supporter in 2008 before Sen. John McCain became the GOP's presumptive candidate in advance of New Jersey's primary.

He admits he got in Booth's ear last December to express his interest in being a Romney delegate.

"Presidents who come from governor backgrounds or a management type of background, you have that chief executive, administrative ability when you have to balance budgets and you have to manage resources that are huge and staffing is a lot more than just running your office," Palmer said. "That's why I never was a big fan of senators or congressmen being president."

In addition to his business background and time as Massachusetts governor, Palmer pointed to Romney's background as president and CEO of the Salt Lake City Olympic Games (2002) Organizing Committee as evidence the GOP candidate is a solid executive.

Palmer is executive director of Vineland's Landis Sewerage Authority and chairman of Valley Forge, PA-based Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin.

He will be one of just two Camden County delegates to the GOP convention. The other is Keith Walker, of Camden.

Palmer, a former chairman of Gloucester Township Planning Board and longtime Boy Scouts leader in the township, and Walker will be joined in Tampa by fellow 1st Congressional District Republicans Jeffery Morris, of Sewell, and Glenn R. Paulsen, of Riverton.

While he admitted he's not so sure how much "voice" individual delegates will have in the three-plus days leading up to Romney's expected Aug. 30 coronation, Palmer is looking forward to sharing his views at the convention.

"Fiscal integrity, fiscal conservatism—looking at the fact that we don't want to become the next Greece or Spain or Italy with debt. Certainly, an item of my own is controlling debt borrowing. If I can get those thoughts passed on, certainly I will."

Romney won New Jersey's June 5 GOP primary with 81 percent of the vote. It is expected he will be the Republican nominee to challenge President Barack Obama in November.