October 11, 2005 - 12:02pm
For Ferriero, maybe another fight
By AnonymousBergen County Democrats were not supposed to be defending their 6-1 majority on the Board of Freehodlers this year, but suddenly it is possible that they must do exactly that. A new poll conducted for the Bergen GOP by Rick Shaftan's Neighborhood Research shows the county race in a statistical dead heat between Democratic incumbents Bernadette McPherson and David Ganz and Republican challengers Michael Kaplan, the Mayor of Norwood, and Ramsey attorney Kelly Kirk. If Kaplan and Kirk were to win, that would reduce the Democratic majority to 4-3.
The problem for Democratic County Chairman Joseph Ferriero is that one of the four Democrats is Valerie Vainieri Huttle, who has had no trouble declaring her independence from Ferriero and the Bergen Democratic organization. Huttle is headed to the Assembly (probably in a few weeks) but remains a Freeholder, if she wants to be, until at least January 2007. Huttle plus three Republicans could effectively remove control of the Bergen Freeholder Board from Ferriero; that could make her -- and State Senator-elect Loretta Weinberg (who gets senatorial courtesy over Bergen appointments as soon as she takes office) -- considerable powers in Bergen County politics.
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Bergen County has been trending heavily Dem in the last few year
Bergen County has been trending heavily Dem in the last few years, but it is worth noting that in recent history, Republicans have never been shut out in an odd-numbered year: Randall kept the GOP safe from a shut out in 2003, and McGreevey accidentally turned out enough 'down-ballot Republicans' in Bergen to give the GOP an edge in Freeholder and even State Assembly races there back in 2001.
And, of course, from 1999 back, it was Democrats who were non-factors in countywide races, not Republicans.
Now that things look close, at least on paper, I wonder if Republicans are kicking themselves for punting the 36th and 38th months ago. (Answer: probably not because I doubt they even care anymore. But they should be.)
Conceding the 36th was a huge mistake, cause Scalera isnt anythi
Conceding the 36th was a huge mistake, cause Scalera isnt anything special and Schaer really has no appeal outside the City of Passaic.
I predict Ganz loses. He is not well-liked in Fair Lawn, and he has little presence countywide, particularly in the north. McPherson may do a bit better, but I think Bergen voters are getting tired of the Ferrierocrats.
Bigger news is McNerney's dismal numbers. I think he could be taken out in a primary.