TRENTON—Officials tell Pascack Press this year’s June primary election will likely generate increased voter turnout as registered Democratic and Republican voters cast ballots to decide which candidates will face off in November’s gubernatorial contest.
This year’s primary is Tuesday, June 10. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 4. On April 19, the county clerk’s office will begin mailing primary vote-by-mail ballots to those who requested them. May 20 is the voter registration deadline for the primary.
To vote in the primary, voters must be registered with either party. Unaffiliated voters can declare a party affiliation at the polling place. Voters may also vote to select candidates for state, county, and local races.
A six-day early voting period runs June 3– 8 at nine countywide polling places. Sample ballots will be available via the county clerk’s website. By May 28, the clerk’s office is expected to begin mailing sample ballots to all registered households.
Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, is term-limited, having completed two terms in office. Registered Democratic voters will choose among six candidates, and registered Republican voters will choose from among five candidates, all vying to replace Murphy.
Democratic candidates include Fifth District Rep. Josh Gottheimer; Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka; Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop; 11th District Rep. Mikie Sherrill; New Jersey Education Association president Sean Spiller; and former state Sen. Steve Sweeney.
Republican candidates include state Sen. Jon Bramnick (11th District); Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario M. Kranjac; former NJ 101.5 radio personality Bill Spadea; Burlington County’s Justin Barbera, who ran as a third-party candidate last year against Democrat Andy Kim; and former District 16 Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, a former gubernatorial hopeful who opposed Murphy in 2021.
One contested local primary
As for primary election municipal races in Pascack Valley, most are uncontested, with both major parties fielding candidates to fill open seats. However, a three-way contest among Hillsdale Republican candidates for two open seats appears to be the lone contested local race.
Facing off for the two slots are former Councilman Anthony DeRosa and two Bergen County Republican Committee–endorsed candidates: Louis A. Casale and Steven B. Riordan.
The two Democrats running uncontested are Christopher C. Camp and Gabriella A. Ianni.
In Emerson, two Republicans running uncontested for two open council seats are Michael Casey and O’Neil Ellis, both endorsed by the Republican County Committee. Two Democrats running uncontested are Michael DeOrio and Jose Organ.
In Montvale, incumbent council members Christopher A. Roche and Timothy E. Lane are the County Republican Party–endorsed candidates. No Democratic candidates were nominated to oppose them.
In Park Ridge, incumbent Republican council members Gregory Hoffman and Bruce Goldsmith are endorsed by the Bergen County Republican Committee. Two Democratic candidates, Thomas M. Greco and Lynda M. Nettleship-Carraher, are supported by the County Democratic Committee.
In River Vale, no local offices are up for election.
In the Township of Washington, three Republican incumbents—Mayor Peter Calamari, Councilman Tom Sears, and Councilwoman Daisy Velez—are running uncontested for mayor and two council seats, backed by the Bergen County Republicans.
On the Democratic side, running unopposed for the mayoral nomination is Meghan Stamatopoulos, endorsed by the Township Democratic Committee of Bergen County.
Correction: The initial version of this story incorrectly stated that Meghan Stamatopoulos ran for a seat on the Westwood Regional School Board in November 2023. Stamatopoulos reminds us that she withdrew her nomination petition prior to the finalization of the official candidate list by the county and did not appear on the ballot. We moreover gave an incorrect number of seats up for election for Township of Washington in that cycle. We regret the errors.
In Westwood, incumbent Republican council members Robert Bicocchi and Beth Anne Dell were endorsed by the local Republican County Committee. They run unopposed for their party’s nomination. Also running unopposed to face them in November are Democrats Kyle C. Lagatol and Kathryn M. Mundhenk.
In Woodcliff Lake, Democratic incumbents Nicole Marsh and Benjamin Pollack are running unopposed for the nomination, endorsed by the Democratic Committee of Bergen County. Also running unopposed to challenge them this November are Republicans Corrado Belgiovine and Nicholas Pulsonetti, both endorsed by the Bergen County Republican Committee.
Contested 39th Legislative District race
A contested race is underway among Republicans hoping to fill two open seats in New Jersey’s 39th Legislative District. Incumbent Assembly members Robert J. Auth and John V. Azzariti Jr. are the county-endorsed candidates. Challenging them is Frank Pallotta, a former investment banker who ran against Democrat Josh Gottheimer for Congress in 2020 and 2022.
About a week after becoming a candidate in the 39th District Assembly race, Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo dropped out of the running.
“I felt that we have a unique opportunity to defeat the Democrats this year but we can only do that with a united Republican party and Assembly ticket,” the three-term borough mayor told Pascack Press.
According to candidate filings on record with the county clerk’s office, only investment banker Frank Pallotta remains as a challenger to the 39th District incumbents.
Rendo previously was selected as the Republican Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor, joining a ticket with Kim Guadagno to oppose Democratic candidate Phil Murphy in November 2017.
Four Democrats are competing for the nomination to run for the two seats, including Andrew LaBruno and David Jiang, running under the “Democrats for Change” banner, and Damon Englese and Donna Abene, endorsed by the Democratic Committee of Bergen County.
The district includes Allendale, Alpine, Cresskill, Closter, Demarest, Dumont, Emerson, Harrington Park, Haworth, Hillsdale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Mahwah, Midland Park, Montvale, Northvale, Norwood, Oakland, Old Tappan, Park Ridge, Ramsey, River Vale, Rockleigh, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Waldwick, Washington Township, Westwood, and Woodcliff Lake.
County commissioners
Three seats on the Board of Commissioners are up for grabs this November, with three Democratic incumbents, three Democratic challengers, and five Republican candidates vying.
The Democratic incumbents are Thomas J. Sullivan, Mary Amoroso, and Germaine M. Ortiz. They are being challenged by Democrats Chris Chung, John Vitale, and Dolores Witko, running under the slogan “Bergen County Democrats for Change.”
In a contested Republican primary, five candidates are seeking the party’s three nominations. These include Jeffrey “Jay” Costa Jr., John DiNice, and Andrea Slowikowski, who were endorsed by the County Republican Committee. Also running are Republicans Linda T. Barba and Armen Azarnia, under “Bergen County Republicans.”