Bergen County Republlicans trade barbs, breaking long election-season truce
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Strife within the Bergen County GOP broke wide open Monday as the party chairman blamed County Executive Kathleen Donovan for the loss of a freeholder seat, saying she sent a “stealth” email endorsing just one of the three GOP freeholders.
“The stealth, bullet campaign by Kathe Donovan was really a despicable act in my opinion,” said Bob Yudin, the county Republican chairman, who has long feuded with Donovan.
But Donovan’s chief of staff, Jeanne Baratta, said Yudin was making excuses for the Bergen County Republican Party having lost freeholder races for the third year in a row.
“Two years ago he blamed a snowstorm. Last year it was Hurricane Sandy,” Baratta said, adding that Donovan endorsed the entire GOP slate and actively campaigned for any Republican candidate who asked for her help. Yudin blamed President Obama’s victory for the party’s losses in 2012.