Former gov. stumps for Lemma in Holmdel BY TOM CAIAZZA Staff Writer Donald Lemma HOLMDEL - Former Gov. Christie Whitman threw her support behind Republican Township Committee candidate and former colleague Donald Lemma on Aug. 23 at a fundraiser held at the candidate's home in the township. Whitman spoke to a crowd of over 100 supporters about Lemma's business background, saying that it will help the township deal with the financial challenges Holmdel and many other municipalities in the area are and will have to work through in the coming years. Lemma said a governor publicly supporting a local candidate is a rarity, and that he believes this was the first time a former governor helped raise money for a Holmdel candidate's campaign. Lemma said he was honored by Whitman's visit and her support. She said that she was happy to help Lemma in his campaign. Lemma held a position in Whitman's administration as a senior executive working in the Office of Technology and Information in the Department of the Treasury. Lemma promised in a press release "new leadership" for the Township Committee and said that the Democratic leadership of the past few years has had a "myopic focus on environmental issues." He said that the town's finances have been ignored and that with the spectre of losing revenue from the Lucent/Bell Labs property, which is scheduled to be redeveloped over the next two years, he wishes to work with the committee to avoid fiscal problems. The wine and cheese party was the primary fundraiser for Lemma's campaign against Democratic incumbent Larry Fink.