Bergen County Exec’s race: continuing Donovan v. Saudino rift still factor for Republicans before November election
HACKENSACK – In preparation for the Bergen County Executive race in 2014, the two long-standing pillars and rivals of the Bergen Republican Party, County Executive Kathleen Donovan and Bergen Republican Chairman Bob Yudin, publicly made peace in December 2013. Joining hands, Donovan and Yudin presented a united front, one they maintained following the emergence of Democratic Freeholder Jim Tedesco as Donovan’s challenger in the 2014 election. (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)
Bergen County Exec’s race: Dem Chair Stellato rallies troops for Tedesco
LYNDHURST – Bergen County Democratic Chairman Lou Stellato was house-proud in his hometown before he got down to political business on Wednesday morning. (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)
Bergen County Exec’s race: Donovan does diner politicking as race enters red zone
PARK RIDGE – The Park Ridge Diner sits on the corner of Kinderkamack Road and Park Avenue. The avenue there was renamed James Gandolfini Way after the late actor who played the iconic cable television role of Tony Soprano, and who grew up in this Bergen County borough. (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)
Bergen County Exec’s race: Paramus, Tedesco’s home base, could play strategic role in election’s outcome
PARAMUS – Bergen County Freeholder Jim Tedesco has reason to believe that based on his recent electoral history in his hometown of Paramus, the Democratic candidate for Bergen County Executive might have a chance of defeating Republican incumbent Kathleen Donovan in November. (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)
Bergen County Exec’s race: Booker says “I’m going to come in very hard” for Tedesco
MONTCLAIR – Bergen County native U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) paused from speaking out in favor of a bill seeking to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision in the Hobby Lobby case to look homeward to the 2014 Bergen County Executive’s race. (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)
Bergen County Exec’s race: Attempt to add two freeholders to county police merger lawsuits fans family ties flames
HACKENSACK – The ongoing legal battle related to the proposed merger of the Bergen County Police Department and the county’s Sheriff’s Office took another twist last week when County Executive Kathleen Donovan, the Republican incumbent seeking re-election in November, attempted to add an ethics complaint against two Democratic freeholders into the police merger lawsuit.
Donovan has struggled with the freeholder board over plans to merge the Bergen County Police Department and the county Sheriff’s Office. Donovan is opposed to the plan, while the majority of the freeholder board, now controlled by the Democrats by a 5-2 veto-proof margin, supports the move. The final decision depends on the outcome of ongoing legal battles related to the merger proposal.
As part of this wider struggle, Donovan has called on two Democratic freeholders, Steve Tanelli and David Ganz, whose son and daughter respectively are employed by the Sherriff”s Office, to recuse themselves from law enforcement issues.
Tanelli, whose son Dan is an investigator with the crime scene unit, and Ganz, whose daughter Pam works a a clerk for the sheriff, declined to do so. (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)
