PASCACK VALLEY AREA—Woodcliff Lake is the only one of eight Pascack Valley towns where a primary election challenge between Democratic council candidates occurs June 8, with two incumbent council members each teaming up with new running mates to oppose each other.
In six of eight Pascack Valley towns covered by Pascack Press, incumbent slates of Democrats or Republicans run unopposed for their party’s nomination for council.
One town, River Vale, does not feature any council races.
Topping the June 8 primary ballot, registered Republicans can choose from four candidates for Governor, to oppose Phil Murphy this Nov. 2, including Brian Levine, Jack Ciattarelli, Hirsh V. Singh and Philip Rizzo.
Murphy runs unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
An important and contested Democratic primary race pits incumbent County Clerk John Hogan against Sondra J. Greenberg.
On the Republican side, Bridget Kelly, who was found guilty and later acquitted in ex-Gov. Chris Christie’s Bridgegate scandal, where she allegedly helped apply pressure to Fort Lee’s mayor following his refusal to endorse Christie’s reelection.
Dems duke it out
Woodcliff Lake Democratic Committee Chair Josephine Higgins, a councilwoman and former mayor, wrote two letters explaining why the two incumbent candidates, Jacqueline Gadaleta, and Craig Marson, would be running against each other.
Higgins said both had planned to run together but the night before the March 22 Woodcliff Lake Democratic Committee meeting where members would vote on who would run on the party line, she received a call from Jennifer Margolis announcing her candidacy. This was highly irregular, she said.
At the meeting the next day, Gadaleta received eight votes to be on the Column 1 party line, and Margolis and Marson each received four votes. Due to some procedural difficulties and mistakes, Higgins said, another Democratic Committee meeting was held March 31.
However, three days prior to that, resident Veronica Appelle, provided notice of her intent to run with Marson. Higgins also chastised four members of the eight-member local Democratic Committee for not attending the March 31 meeting. Moreover, in a letter that appeared in the April 26 Pascack Press, Higgins wrote that Gadaleta “reneged on her promise to run the two incumbents.”
Following a letter in the May 17 Pascack Press from Robert Rosenblatt, a county Democratic committee member and former councilman, that urged support for Gadaleta and Margolis based on their qualifications and noted that challengers Marson and Appelle “do not have the support of the Bergen County Democratic Party,” Higgins responded the following week.
She wrote to Pascack Press, noting “Although it was agreed among committee members that the incumbents, Gadaleta and Marson, would be selected to run, at the 11th hour, Gadaleta and several members of the committee reneged on their commitment, and without prior notice, voted to endorse Margolis in place of Marson.”
She added, “As a result, there was and is no united endorsement of any candidate by the [local] committee.” Higgins noted that half the committee endorsed Gadaleta and Margolis and half endorsed Marson and Appelle.
Higgins also voiced her support for Marson and Appelle. The former mayor and Marson were running mates in last year’s council election. Prior to joining the council, Marson was a regular meeting attendee, often criticizing council expenditures and opposing the 60-unit apartment complex previously proposed for 188 Broadway.
Appelle also was a frequent council meeting attendee and led public opposition to 188 Broadway’s initial application for a 60-unit development. As a member of local citizens’ group Woodcliff Lake SHINE, she has opposed the newly proposed, scaled-down 53-unit proposal for the 188 Broadway site.
Gadaleta is a three-term, eight-year-plus council member, and its longest-serving member. Margolis is a seven-year resident, with two children in the local school system.
For the Republicans, Michael Casale and Dianna Cereijo run unopposed. They will face off against the Democratic winners on Nov. 2.
Other town races
In Emerson, incumbent Republican councilmen Kenneth Hoffman and Brian Gordon are defending against Democratic challengers Michael DeOrio and Kate Stutzel. Both slates run unopposed June 8 for the nomination.
In Hillsdale and Park Ridge, the two council slates face no opposition on Nov. 2 from the opposing party. Hillsdale Republican incumbents Abby Lundy, council president, and councilman John Escobar are nominated to run against no Democratic challengers.
Park Ridge Democratic incumbents councilmen Matthew J. Capilli and John P. Ferguson, also face no Republican opposition for their Nov. 2 council race.
In Montvale, Republican incumbents councilman Dieter Koelling and councilwoman AnnMarie Russo-Vogelsgang run unopposed June 8. On the Democratic side, Steven A. Frischer runs as a solo candidate to face-off against the Republicans this fall.
In the Township of Washington, incumbent Republican Councilman Thomas J. Sears, a former councilman returned to fill the unexpired term of the late Arthur Cumming, and running mate Daisy N. Velez, the town’s public affairs point person, run unopposed in the primary. There are no Democratic challengers in the primary.
Incumbent Republican Mayor Peter A. Calamari runs unopposed by town Democrats. He faces a November challenge from incumbent Independent Michael DeSena and running mates Michael Werfel, a financial advisor, and township Fire Chief Kevin Zitko. Independents have no primary, so you won’t see them on sample ballots.
In Westwood, two slates of Democratic and Republican candidates run unopposed for local council. Democratic incumbent Jodi Murphy and running mate Bermari Roig run unopposed on June 8. Incumbent Republican councilwoman Cheryl Hodges and running mate Anthony Greco run unopposed June 8.
