NEW JERSEY—Voters here cast ballots to elect candidates to represent them in the New Jersey General Assembly, county and local governments and on school boards on Election Day, Nov. 5.
Pascack Press and Northern Valley Press is covering important electoral results in our coverage region of northeast Bergen County.
Republicans Victorious in District 39 Reelection Bids
Incumbent Republican state Assembly members Holly T. Schepisi and Robert J. Auth beat back an Election Day challenge from Democrat nominees John Birkner Jr., the current mayor of Westwood, and Gerald Falotico, the current Emerson Borough Council President.
Schepisi was the top vote getter in unofficial tallies, with 22,808, while Auth received 21,278. Birkner and Falotico received 17,932 and 17,515 votes, respectively.
Democrats Reelected in Bergen County Freeholder Race
Democrat incumbents Thomas J. Sullivan of Montvale, Mary Amoroso of Mahwah and Germaine M. Ortiz of Emerson were reelected by Bergen County voters.
They had been challenged by three Republican nominees: Corrado D. Belgiovine, a current Woodcliff Lake Councilman; Alyssa K. Dawson, a former Westwood Councilwoman currently working as chief-of-staff to Assemblywoman Schepisi; and Kathleen E. Cericola, an accountant from Waldwick.
The unofficial Election Day tallies were: Sullivan, 76,292; Amoroso, 76,237; Ortiz, 73,937; Cericola, 61,309; Dawson, 61,130; and Belgiovine, 60,692.
District 37 Assembly Democrats Sail To Reelection
Incumbent Democrats Valerie Vainieri Huttle and Gordon M. Johnson—both of Englewood—were reelected, overcoming Election Day challenges by Republican nominees and a Libertarian candidate.
Huttle received 19,368 votes while Johnson received 19,494.
Republican nominees Angela T. Hendricks and Gino Tessaro, both of Hackensack, received 7,448 and 7,298 votes, respectively, while Libertarian Claudio Belusic received 482 votes.
Voters Support Public Question on Tax Deduction for Veterans in Retirement Communities
Voters are asked to say yes or no to a public question to amend the Constitution to allow eligible veterans to receive the value of the veterans’ property tax deduction if they reside in a continuing care retirement community.
1010 Wins Radio reports voters approved the question on whether veterans living in retirement communities should get a $250 property tax deduction.
THE RESULTS ARE IN: LOCAL RACES IN OUR COVERAGE AREA
Towns are listed in alphabetical order: Please scroll down
Alpine
In the race for two three-year terms on the Borough Council, incumbent Democrats Gayle Gerstein and John Halbreich are unopposed.
Gerstein received 161 votes, while Halbreich got 158.
Voters will choose one representative to serve a full three-year term on the local school board. The candidates are Or-Lee Fromm and Maryana Beyder.
Fromm won according to unofficial tallies, with 103 votes to Beyder’s 54.
Closter
In the municipal election, incumbent Republicans Victoria Roti Amitai and Joseph Yammarino defeated Democrat nominees Linda Albelli and Clifton Lewis.
Yammarino led all vote getters with 894, with Amitai receiving 830. Albelli and Lewis received 652 and 585 votes, respectively.
Yammarino 
Amitai
Northern Valley Press profiled these candidates in Four Vying For Two Seats on Closter Borough Council This Election Day.
There are also three full terms available on the Closter K–8 school board, and the candidates are Janine Micera (672 votes), Ruchi Kothari (526 votes) and Magaly Salamea-Cross (500 votes).
Cresskill
Republican Mayor Benedict Romeo was unopposed and was reelected with 665 votes.
But Republican Council members Simone Tsigounis and Mark Spina—also in the Republican Column 1—faced a challenged by Democrat Leslie Kaplan. Spina emerged a clear winner with 657 votes; but unofficial tallies were too close to call for the final seat. Tsigounis got 565 votes and Kaplan got 556. Election officials will need to count absentee and mail-in ballots before that race is officially decided.
Update: Mail-in ballots have given Kaplan the lead over Tsigounis, 612 to 609.
Kaplan 
Spina 
Tsigounis
Northern Valley Press profiled the Cresskill council candidates in Incumbent Republicans, Democrat Nominee Seek Open Cresskill Council Seats.
Cresskill voters also elected three members to serve full terms on the Cresskill Board of Education, and a another to serve a one-year unexpired term. Unopposed for the full terms were Dionna Lee Griffin (461 votes), Raffi Odabashian (361 votes) and Michael V. DePalo (406 votes). Amy Cusick was unopposed for the unexpired term and received 559 votes.
Demarest
Council incumbents James M. Carroll and William E. Connelly were both unopposed on the Democrat line, Column 2, and received 538 and 548 votes, respectively.
With three full terms available on the Demarest K–8 Board of Education, only two candidates filed petitions to be listed on the ballot—Christen Governale and Sheila Verna—meaning voters may write in a third candidate, and they may have—officials show 72 personal choice ballots were cast. Governale and Verna received 353 and 388 votes, respectively.
Emerson
Republican Jill McGuire—appointed earlier this year to fill the unexpired term of Mayor Danielle DiPaola—was reelected by a wide margin alongside Republicana running mate Nicole Argenzia, receiving 1,072 and 1,047 votes respectively. They were challenged by Democrats Brian Downing—a former councilman who failed to win reelection in 2018—and Patricia L. Dinallo, who received 788 and 716 votes, respectively.
McGuire 
Argenzia
Pascack Press profiled the Emerson candidates in Four Vying for Emerson Borough Council.
In the race for two full terms on the Emerson Board of Education, candidates Benjamin Sallemi and David A. Cannici were unopposed. They received 508 and 565 votes, respectively.
Englewood
The real drama on Election Day in this city of about 27,000 people is in the race for three full terms on the city’s board of education. The district raises about $54.8 million in local taxes while board members oversee a $56.64 million operating budget.
The four candidates for three seats were Samuel E. Trusty, Suzanne Mullings, William Feinstein, and Angela David.
Mullings led unofficial tallies with 1,407 votes, followed by Trusty with 1,400, then David with 1,287 and Feinstein with 1,241.
In the city’s Fourth Ward, Councilman Wayne Hamer was reelected with 583 votes over independent challenger Ricardo N. Whilby, who receivved 389 votes.
In Ward 2, Councilman Michael D. Cohen was unopposed and received 570 votes.
Englewood Cliffs
In a major Election Day battle, Republican Mayor Mario M. Kranjac won a second term, defeating long-serving Councilman and Democrat nominee Edward F. Aversa, 894–703.
Kranjac’s Republican colleagues also won, with Councilman William Woo getting 931 votes and Ramon Ferro receiving 877.
Democrats Glen A. Luciano and Jack Chan received 671 and 679 votes, respectively.
Only two candidates filed for three full terms on the local K–8 board of education: Susan Pak (519 votes) and Kevin Liau (378 votes). There were 49 personal choice ballots cast, meaning voters have likely elected a third board member, to be determined.
Harrington Park
Mayor Paul Hoelscher has led the borough government for 27 years since he was first elected mayor in 1992—and will continue to do so through 2024, after voters reelected him to an eighth term.
Harrington Park has a unique tradition of electing independents, and Hoelscher’s runningmates Gregory J. Evanella and Diane G. Walker were both unopposed, receiving 1,007 and 1,036 votes, respectively.
Hoelscher was challenged in his reelection bid by Democrat nominee Vincent G. Forma, who received 350 votes to the incumbent’s 1,000.
Here’s what those candidates told Northern Valley Press: Long-Serving Independent Mayor of Harrington Park Facing Election Day Challenge.
Unopposed for the local K–8 school board are Laura Tebo and Chi Young Cho, who received 549 and 361 votes, respectively. Also unopposed for an unexpired one-year term on the local school board was Stephen Levine, who got 532 votes.
Haworth
The Borough Council’s only two Republicans appeared to win reelection over Democrat nominees.
Incumbent Republican Councilmen Andrew Rosenberg (463 votes) and Michael Bain (461 votes) will continue their service. Democrats Stephen Chval, who previously served 27 years on the council, got 365 votes, and nominee Bruce G. Steinthal got 375.
Bain 
Rosenberg
We spoke to the candidates for Haworth Council Incumbents Face Election Day Challenge.
Unopposed for a three year term on the Northern Valley Regional High School District Board of Education was George Kipel, who received 494 votes. In the race for three full terms on the local K–8 board of education, unofficial tallies showed Alanna Zahn Davis (422 votes), Ilisha Borek (347 votes) and Karen Leddy (411 votes) to be the apparent winners. Jamie Kagan-Heit received 290 votes.
Hillsdale
Voters here reelected Republican Mayor John Ruocco, who received 1,421 votes.
Republican nominee Janetta Trochimiuk led all council vote getters with 1,244 to win election.
The drama here had surrounded Republican incumbent Frank Pizzella—who won another term with 1,162, despite calls from former Republican Mayor Doug Frank to support Democrat Ian M. Askins (952 votes) in the wake a Borough Council move that led to the departure of the town’s administrator/chief financial officer.
Pizzella—in an advertisement in the Nov. 4 Pascack Press—told readers his reelection would be vital to his efforts to lead a redevelopment of the borough’s industrial zone, among other initiatives.
Pizzella 
Trochimiuk 
Ruocco
The council candidates shared their platforms and pedigrees with Pascack Press in Ruocco Unopposed For Mayor; Three Vie For Two Seats on Council.
Unopposed for the local K–8 school board was Salvatore G. Sileo (911 votes). Nicole A. Klas (887 votes) was also unopposed for a one-year unexpired term on the local board.
Montvale
The borough’s Republican Mayor Mike Ghassali was reelected with 1,243 votes. But for Ghassali, who was unopposed, 2019 has seemed more about 2020 since he declared his intention to seek the Republican nomination for United States Congress.
In Ghassali, the borough will have a second-term mayor—first elevated to that role in 2015 as an insurgent independent candidate—whose campaign for congress was recently bolstered by the National Republican Congressional Committee’s announcement that it has accepted him into its “Young Guns” program.
In announcing Ghassali had been accepted, along with 23 other candidates in 16 states, the NRCC says the program will provide “the necessary tools to run successful, winning campaigns” in exchange for a requirement that candidates “work towards specific goals and meet benchmarks…”
The GOP’s eventual nominee will challenge Democrat U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who is up for reelection in New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District in 2020.
In the race for borough council: Republican Incumbent Councilman Timothy E. Lane won a fifth term with 999 votes, while Democrat Incumbent Elizabeth M. Gloeggler appeared to come up short with 836 votes. Lane’s running-mate, Christopher A. Roche, received 952 votes, while Democrat Laureana M. Organ got 585 votes.
Roche 
Lane
Pascack Press spoke to them for Montvale Council Candidates Face Off In Contested Election Day Race.
Anita Bagdat (514 votes) and Alisha R. Foley (711 votes) are unopposed for two full terms on the local K–8 board of education.
Northvale
Incumbent Democrat Councilman Louis DeLisio emerged the top vote getter in unofficial tallies with 485 ballots, and his fellow Democrat Francis E. Devlin was a close second with 481 votes. Republican nominees Leigh Meola and Domenico Menafra received 437 and 420 votes, respectively.
They spoke to Northern Valley Press in Four Candidates Vying For Two Seats on Northvale Borough Council.
Drew S. Porschen (442 votes) was unopposed for a full term on the regional high school district board of education, and John Briguglio (373 votes) was also unopposed for the local K–8 district.
Norwood
Norwood’s race for mayor is too close to call, but at least one Democrat Council Incumbent appears to have emerged a clear winner.
Incumbent Republican Mayor James P. Barsa got 810 votes while Democrat nominee Annie Hausmann had 802 in unofficial tallies. There are still absentee and provisional ballots to be counted, plus the potential for a recount petition.
Hausmann 
Barsa
We spoke to Barsa and Hausmann in our article “Republican Incumbent, Democratic Nominee Vying to be Next Mayor of Norwood.”
Incumbent Councilman John J. Rooney, a Democrat, led all Election Day vote getters with 827 emerging as a clear winner. Next was Incumbent Councilman Anthony Foschino, with 764 votes, followed by Republican nominee Kate Cerbasi at 741 votes, then Democrat George L. Santiago with 731.
There’s also a highly contested race for the Norwood K–8 Board of Education for two full terms. Candidates and vote tallies were as follows: Carlos Guzman (519 votes); Rahul C. Vaghasia (438 votes); Stephen K. Brossarad (405 votes); and Daniel Garcia (385 votes).
Old Tappan
Mayor John Kramer (604 votes) and Council Members Mathew M. Nalbandian (559 votes) and William R. Boyce 4th (529 votes) were unopposed and easily reelected.
No candidates filed petitions for one full term on the Northern Valley Regional High School District, but residnets Sheila Maier and former board representative Kathy Fable both mounted late-stage write in campaigns. News on a winner will be forth coming as election officials sort through 275 personal choice ballots cast.
In the race for two full terms on the local K–8 boa rd of education are Kristen Santoro (328 votes) and Maryellen Lafronz (255 votes) were both unopposed.
Park Ridge
Mayor Keith Misciagna won a new four-year term with 1,361 votes, beating Republican County Committeeman William R. Fenwick’s 1,002 votes.
We spoke to Misciagna and Fenwick in Incumbent Park Ridge Mayor Faces Republican Challenge.
Democrat Council incumbents Kelly Epstein and Robert C. Metzdorf won, receiving 1,227 and 1,288 votes, respectively. Republican challengers John Cozzi and Joshua A. Nathanson got 1,009 and 1,042 votes respectively.
Council candidates shared their platforms with Pascack Press in Park Ridge Council Incumbents Face Election Day Challenge.
The race for two full terms on the borough board of education was also contested. The winning candidates: Nicholas J. Triano (910 votes) and John B. Pierotti Jr. (759 votes). Coming up short: Travis DeCotiis (615 votes) and Thomas Tracy (467 votes).
River Vale
Township voters have no open seats on the municipal governing body, and school board members were unopposed.
James Stankus, receiving 1,091 votes, ran unopposed for the regional high school district board of education; Deborah Rothenberg (945 votes) and Virginia Senande (601 votes) were unopposed for two full terms on the local board; and Jason Schlereth (1,010 votes) was also unopposed for an unexpired one-year term on the local board.
Rockleigh
Republicans James G. Pontone (40 votes) and David C. Hansesn (33 votes) ran unopposed for the Borough Council.
Tenafly
Voters denied Independent Mayor Peter Rustin a fifth term. Voters in every district supported Democrat Mark Zinna, who received 1,540 votes to the incumbent’s 1,294. Republican Emanuel Savas, who did not actively campaign, got 185 votes.
We spoke to Zinna and Rustin in Incumbent Independent Mayor Faces Election Day Challenges In Bid For Fifth Term.
Democratic nominees for council, Daniel Park and Planning Board member Adam Michaels, ran unopposed, earning 1,844 votes and 1,798 votes, respectively.
Borough voters also chose three candidates to serve full terms on the Tenafly Board of Education. Incumbent Sam A. Bruno was the odd man out, getting a low vote tally of 1,030. Candidates Paula Elizabeth Newman (1,350 votes), Jocelyn Schwarz (1,418 votes), and Mark Alan Aronson (1,261 votes) were elected.
Township of Washington
Incumbent Steve C. Cascio, who defected from the local Republican Party for his previous campaign, was back on the GOP line, Column 1. At 1,207 votes he led all vote getters, comfortably keeping his council seat, while Republican challengers Stacey C. DeMarco-Feeney (1,103 votes) and Desserie D. Morgan (1,111 votes) also were elected.
The sweep sees Independents Robert A. Bruno (615 votes) and Michael T. Ullman (568 votes), both of whom have been critical of the Republican administration, out of office.
Bruno, who in 2017 lost a bruising bid for mayor to Peter Calamari, called for and got $10,000 in the new budget for a forensic accounting of town finances. Ullman took heat for his no-vote on the popular new headquarters for fire and ambulance personnel, saying the approximately $6 million project leaves room for cost savings.
Democratic challenger Marc Moschella posted 607 votes.
Morgan 
DeMarco-Feeney 
Cascio
We spoke to the candidates for our coverage, Council Incumbents Challenged in Six-Candidate Race for Three Seats.
Matthew Perrapato, unopposed for a full term on the Westwood Regional Board of Education, received 553 votes.
Westwood
With Democratic Mayor John Birkner Jr. clearing the way in his ultimately failed bid for state Assembly in District 39, Westwood Republican County Committee Chairman and Council President Raymond Arroyo, at 1,690 votes, fended off a challenge from first-term Democratic Councilwoman Jodi Murphy, 1,238 votes, and emerges mayor-elect.
With his comfortable win in hand, Arroyo joked to Pascack Press on Nov. 7, “I have decided not to pursue a recount,” harking back to his successful legal effort to turn the tables on a slight apparent loss for council re-election in 2018. His “Always Westwood” running mate in that fight, Alyssa Dawson, now Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi’s chief of staff, fell short in Tuesday’s contest for Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Arroyo and Murphy spoke to Pascack Press in our coverage, Who Will Be Westwood’s Next Mayor?
Meanwhile, incumbent council Republicans Robert Bicocchi (1,600 votes) and Beth Anne Dell (1,629 votes) fended off Democrat challengers Iraj Hastings (1,251 votes) and Lea Simone and (1,245 votes).
They shared their platforms with us in “Westwood Council Incumbents Face Election Day Challenge.
Westwood Police Chief Michael Pontillo lost his bid to join the Westwood Regional School Board, receiving 942 votes, while incumbent Roberta Hanlon—a 15-year incumbent who also is a crossing guard and former councilwoman—prevailed with 1,059 votes. Pontillo’s running mate, Michelle Sembler, led all vote-getters with 1,172 ballots and will be seated.
Pontillo had called for the district to disclose documents related to its legal opinion it sought exploring his candidacy in the weeks leading up to his election.
Woodcliff Lake
Mayor Carlos Rendo prevailed in his reelection bid, receiving 935 votes and beating Democrat nominee and Council President Jacqueline Gadaleta, who received 753 votes.
They spoke to Pascack Press in Woodcliff Lake Mayor, Council President Both Vying To Lead Borough.
Incumbent Councilwoman Angela Hayes prevailed in her reelection effort, leading all candidates with 875 votes, while Republican Stephen V. Falanga (with 861 votes) in second, followed by Republican Jennifer Howard (784 votes) and Democrat Jason H. Lundgren (774 votes).
The council candidates spoke to Pascack Press in Woodcliff Lake Council Candidates Vying For Two Seats on Governing Body.
Board member Tammy Molinelli (782 votes) was unopposed in her reelection campaign for the Pascack Valley Regional High School District.
In the race for three full terms on the borough’s K–8 school board, four candidates were on the ballot. Debra Starr received 812 votes, while Robert Wolpov received 656 votes, followed by Vladislav Zherenovsky with 250 votes, then Andrew Franklin with 164 votes.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to reflect unofficial election tallies provided by the Bergen County Clerk’s Office.