PASCACK VALLEY AREA—Bergen County and Pascack Valley voters chose Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli from four challengers in the June 8 Republican primary election to oppose incumbent Democratic governor Phil Murphy in the Nov. 2 General Election, according to unofficial election results from the Bergen County Clerk’s Office.
Countywide, Ciatarelli grabbed 12,354 votes to take 58.2% of the vote, while Hirsh V. Singh tallied 4,047 votes, or 19%, Philip Rizzo grabbed 3,675 votes or 17.32%, and Rian D. Levine had 1,117 votes, or 5.26%.
Incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy ran unopposed for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
For the Bergen County Clerk Democratic nomination, incumbent clerk John S. Hogan (18,471 votes) defeated Democratic challenger Sondra J. Greenberg (4,151 votes). Hogan totaled 81.6% of the vote to Greenberg’s 18.34%.
Hogan will face off against uncontested Republican challenger Bridget Kelly (17,267 votes). Kelly, a former Gov. Chris Christie staffer, was found guilty and later acquitted for the 2013 Bridgegate scandal, where she allegedly helped apply pressure to Fort Lee’s Democratic mayor via local traffic gridlock for his refusal to endorse Christie’s reelection.
And in Pascack Valley’s only contested council primary, in Woodcliff Lake, Democratic incumbent councilwoman Jacqueline Gadaleta and running mate Jennifer Margolis bested incumbent Democratic councilman Craig Marson and Veronica Appelle, to become the Democratic candidates for Borough Council.
Both Gadaleta and Margolis ran on the so-called party line, or Column 1, which notes “Democratic Committee of Bergen County” above every candidate listed in Column 1.
Due to some last-minute maneuvering by Gadaleta and Margolis, according to councilwoman Jospehine Higgins, Margolis joined Gadaleta’s team only days before the Democratic Committee was to endorse candidates to secure the party line.
Higgins, a former mayor, current councilwoman and local Democratic Committee chair, charged that Gadaleta had “reneged” on her prior commitment to run with Marson. Marson then joined with a new running mate, Appelle, under the banner of “Democrats For Responsible Development” and was listed in Column 3.
Gadaleta and Margolis totaled 307 and 305 votes, accounting for 35.9% and 35.6% of all votes cast, while Marson and Appelle grabbed 125 and 118 votes, totaling 14.6% and 13.8%, respectively.
Gadaleta and Marson did not reply to requests for comment by press time.
For the 39th legislative district Senate seat—which represents the eight towns covered by Pascack Press—uncontested Democrat Ruth Dugan was nominated with 3,547 votes to oppose incumbent Republican Senator Holly Schepisi in November.
Schepisi was appointed to fill Sen Gerald Cardinale’s seat following his death this year.
For the two 39th District Assembly seats up for election Nov. 2, Democrats nominated two uncontested candidates, Melinda J. Iannuzzi and Karlito A. Almeda, who grabbed 3,477 and 3,305 votes, respectively.
For the contested 39th District Republican Assembly seats, Republicans nominated incumbent Robert Auth and newcomer DeAnne DeFuccio, who took Schepisi’s spot, to oppose the Democrats.
Auth drew 4,688 votes, or 34.1%, and DeFuccio 4,497 votes, about 32.7%. Challengers Jonathan Kurpis and John V. Azzariti took 2,186 and 2,368 votes, respectively, which equaled about 16% and 17.24% of the vote.
In contested races, such as the Woodcliff Lake Democratic Council primary race, the backing of local or county political committees was seen as a difference-maker in why some candidates outpolled other equally well-known and respected candidates.
Most of the partisan primary races were uncontested, and below we provide vote totals on local council candidates.
Historically, primary elections to nominate party candidates are generally low voter turnout affairs due to their often-uncontested Democrat and Republican races and little of interest for the unengaged voter.
On June 8 in Bergen County, 10.2 percent of Democrats voted, or 26,476 of 259,608 registered Democrats, and 14.88% of Republicans voted, or 21,789 votes cast out of 146,477 registered Republicans.
A recent Rutgers–Eagleton poll in May found that only 22% of registered voters knew June 8 was New Jersey’s Primary Election Day, though when reminded at least half of those said they planned to vote.
For Nov. 2’s Emerson Borough Council race, uncontested Democratic Primary candidates Michael De Orio (114 votes) and Kate Stutzel (103 votes) will oppose uncontested incumbent Republican primary candidates Council President Kenneth Hoffman (281 votes) and Brian Gordon (299 votes).
In Hillsdale and Park Ridge, the two primary council slates face no opposition on Nov. 2 from the other party. Hillsdale’s incumbent Republicans Council President Abby Lundy (294 votes) and councilman John Escobar (297 votes) run unopposed Nov. 2 as do Park Ridge’s Democratic incumbents Matthew J. Capilli (172 votes) and John P. Ferguson (162 votes).
In Montvale, Republican incumbents councilman Dieter Koelling (262 votes) and councilwoman AnnMarie Russo-Vogelsgang (266 votes) ran unopposed and will face opposition from lone Democratic candidate Steven A. Frischer (131 votes) on Nov. 2.
In Washington Township, uncontested incumbent Republican Mayor Peter Calamari (338 votes) faces no Democratic opposition on Nov, 2. Also, in Washington Township, incumbent Republican councilman Thomas J. Sears, (329 votes) appointed to fill the seat of late councilman Arthur Cumming, and running mate Daisy N. Velez, (330 votes) ran uncontested in the primary and also face no Democratic opponents on Nov. 2.
However, all three Republican candidates face opposition from incumbent Independent councilman Michael DeSena, who is challenging Calamari, and from running mates Michael Werfel, a financial advisor, and township Fire Chief Kevin Zitko.
Independents do not run in the primary and so were not listed on the primary election ballot.
In Westwood, uncontested Democratic council incumbent Jodi Murphy (303 votes) and running mate Bermari Roig (269 votes) will face off against uncontested incumbent Republican councilwoman Cheryl Hodges (400 votes) and running mate Anthony Greco (378 votes) in the Nov. 2 General Election.