Audubon Park's mayor and a councilman made the leap.
AUDUBON PARK -- The borough's mayor and a councilman have jumped ship to the Republican party, with Camden County's GOP chairman saying it's a trend he expects to continue in a vastly blue county.
Mayor Larry Pennock and Councilman John Carpinelli, who serve the roughly 1,000 residents of Audubon Park, announced their decisions Thursday in a press release from the Camden County Republican Party.
"As a father, it is imperative you always try to do what is right and that includes standing up for your beliefs," Pennock said in a news release. "The Republican Party best reflects my personal views on the issues of the day, so it was important I stand up for my beliefs and change parties."
Disband Camden County police, GOP says
According to philly.com, it was Donald Trump's run for presidency that finally spurred Pennock to switch party affiliation two months before Primary Election day. Carpinelli is now the only Republican among the borough's six council members and Pennock became the borough's first ever Republican mayor, according to the report.
Characterizing the mission of the GOP in Camden County as an "uphill battle," Carpinelli said "there is more than a little dissatisfaction out there and we expect that soon the hill may not be as steep."
According to the official Primary Election results from June, there are 133,176 registered Democrats compared to 42,952 Republicans in Camden County.
"I have no doubt given the issues we've raised, the hostile takeover of the police and paramedics in Camden, the never-ending list of failed projects in Camden and the sudden creation of a deputy county clerk position for a former assemblyman, others will be joining our ranks," GOP Chairman Tom Booth said.
Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
