Republican Bergen County sheriff withdraws endorsement of Democratic county executive, freeholder candidates
October 6, 2014, 11:20 AM Last updated: Monday, October 6, 2014, 3:17 PM
By JOHN C. ENSSLIN
staff writer
The Record
Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino – a Republican who won re-election last year – on Monday withdrew a videotaped endorsement he gave over the weekend to the Democratic candidates running for county executive and freeholder, calling it “a mistake.”
“In no way were my comments intended to be a public endorsement of any candidates for office this year.” Saudino said in a prepared statement.
“Regrettably, after watching a video of my comments, it is clear there is no other way to interpret it,” he added. “It was a mistake and for that I apologize.”
County Republican Chairman Bob Yudin said he saw the video on YouTube Saturday. It has since been taken down, he said.
Yudin said the tape showed Saudino endorsing Democrat James Tedesco for county executive and Democratic Freeholders David Ganz and Joan Voss.
They are opposed by Republican County Executive Kathleen Donovan and GOP Freeholder candidates Bernadette Walsh and Robert Avery.
“Kathe and Bob Avery and Bernadette Walsh are not running against the sheriff,” Yudin said Monday. “They are running against Tedesco, Ganz and Voss.”
“While I am saddened that the sheriff has done this, the campaign is against their Democratic opponents,” Yudin added. “We have moved on.”
Saudino’s withdrawn endorsement is the latest twist in an ongoing rift between Saudino and Donovan, who ran together as a team when they were first elected in November 2010.
The two Republicans have been feuding almost from the time they took office in January 2011.
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