Bergen Dems consider O'Brien for '10 Freeholder race

By Matt Friedman | December 3rd, 2009 - 4:50pm
| More

Bergen County Freeholder Julie O'Brien, who just narrowly lost re-election, remains in office until next month.  But her name has already surfaced as a possible candidate for the seat of Freeholder Tomas Padilla, who will not run again next year.

"I've heard people throwing my name out there, too," said O'Brien in a phone interview. "It's something that I have to sit down and discuss with my family.  I'm not even off the board yet.  It's very new. It's something that I need to weigh out very carefully and talk to my family about, so I'm not even prepared to comment on it." 

O'Brien came in third on Election Day after Republican Rob Hermansen, who beat her by a little under 1,500 - less than 1%. 

Party leaders and elected officials have mixed views on the prospect of an O'Brien candidacy.  Those who are more supportive note that she already has name recognition, and argue that her loss can be attributed mainly to circumstances beyond her control.  Those not warm to the idea see a deep bench of potential candidates and no need to recycle.. 

"I think she has the right of first refusal," said one high ranking source in the party who wants O'Brien to run. 

Bergen County Democratic Chairman Michael Kasparian, however, said that the selection process has not yet begun.

"It's just premature at this point for us to be making statements as to who may or may not be in the running," he said.  "At this point, nobody has got the upper hand.  It's something that seriously needs to be considered by not just me but several people in the party. We intend to address this within the next couple weeks."

Kasparian said that he hopes the party has settled on a single candidate to endorse by January.

Others who pop up as top prospects are Dumont Mayor Matt McHale, who is the Bergen County Democratic Organization's executive director, and Cliffside Park Councilman Ken Corcoran, a commissioner for the Bergen County Improvement Authority.

Padilla, a Hackensack police captain, said that he's leaving the freeholder job to spend more time with his three young children. 

"It's all about family," he said. 

Padilla said that his decision had nothing to do with a lawsuit filed by Hackensack police officers against Police Chief Ken Zisa that names him as a co-defendant.   

Eleven more

months...,

Ferrerio Part 2

It's something that seriously needs to be considered by not just me but several people in the party.

Hey how about it needs to be decided by the Democrat County Committee oh wait thats the Republican Party that allows its members to have a say.

Classic move by Ferriero

Ferriero is still working behind the scene
before he goes to Jail.

He wants an all star ethnic Irish team against the Italians Next Nov:

McNerney, McGuire, Carroll, O'Brien.

O'Brien

I think she lost because Chris Christie was on the ballot and Corzine ran a bad campaign. It certainly was not the Bergen Republicans who ran a good one.

McHale is a good option if O'Brien doesnt want it.

McHale

His name was brought into the Ferrerio trail with Dumont and GGC.

Yeah, yeah, by all means...

I think these would be great candidates (wink, wink).

Eleven more months.

Bergenguy

I would not say that about the Republican
Freeholder race in front of the self appointed leader of the minority party Mr Hermansen who thinks that he was just crowned King of Bergen

Please

run these ferriero drones. It is great that this pack of fools can't see the writing on the wall.

o'brien

Some of you know it alls should be careful. o'brien lost by less than 1% with an extremely unpopular governor heading the ticket. that won't be the same in 2010. we must tread carefully and not be overconfident.

2010

tread carefully you should... It was just being at the right place at the right time that both GOP Candidates got elected in the FH office, especially Hermansen. One getting in was not out of the realm of possibility.

2010 will be interesting. GOP will try to keep the CC tide going (and im sure he'll be making a TON of appearances in Bergen) and the Dems?! well they cant do any worse than this year. Maybe a good beating in 2009 is just what they needed.

hermansen

Rob Hermansen will implode, and cause the BCRO to go into civil war mode. people think that the dems in bergen have a lot of infighting, but Hermansen is a divisive charatcer in his own party.

There is also speculation of him running for congress in the 5th district.

GOP Real Conservatives are now in control

The Right-to-Life/True Conservative majority of the BCRO is back and Minority Leader Hermansen is the start.With bold initaitves like ending abortions and right to bear arms, the three new GOP freeholders Hermansen picked candidates, who will 100% support leader Hermansen and OUR conservative initatives. With Conservative support from Lonegan we will make America great again.

Also Gov Christie BETTER start supporting Bergen. Those top jobs at Sports Authority and DEP better be Bergen County Conservatives, because thats leadership.

Time for New Blood

O'Brien herself was always weak. You guys forget Corzine carried Bergen you cant blame him for the Princess of Darkness from Ramsey losing. They need better candidates.

Captain in the Zisa syndicate dropping out.

Like rats from a sinking ship go the Zisa henchman. What will he do with only three jobs, perhaps he needs more time to devote to harassing the plaintiffs who are suing him. As cops line up to sue him his ability to draw four paychecks is tested. http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/investigative/091119-hackensack-shakedow... Where Padilla learned about government the cop caught on tape tampering with a witness, subourning perjury, committing bribery in official matters and official misconduct is on the job with a gun while the guy who exposed him faces charges. That kind of government ethics makes Ferriero look clean. WHEN IS CAPTAIN CAROLL GOING TO BE ARRESTED?

Bill Brennan Union thug / Thief

Heard that you assisted a Councilman
install GPS Tracking devices in Police Cars
in a certain town after you helped another
drunken $ 100 k a year Cop get from being fired.
You have ZERO Cred on this or any other forum

You heard wrong

An anonymous coward cannot question integrity or credibility.

 

Now retract your allegation that I am a thief and a thug or I will sue you for defamation. Try me.

Brennen ?

Yes we heard that name before. Part of The Lonegan Zampetti, Creange crew down there in Bogota/ Teaneck. Yes we all heard about the stunts you puled down there. You are a disgrace to the uniform

The Truth about UNION REP Brennan

or Formerly Anonyous as he calls himself on this forum. Yes he made a career out of video taping council meetings to try and extort money for his crew. Its amazing that the video taping stopped after his friend Mc Hale bacame Mayor and gave his buddies lost of cash.
Paramus, Let him try and sue you. This idiot has a long, long history of slander behind him, It should be fun

never anonymous

Unlike the cowards who hide behind false identities and spew lies about others I always post under my own name.

As for Bogota - a jury decided that Lonegan retaliated against a Bogota cop after that cop exposed Lonegan's criminal behavior and exposed Labor Attorney David Corrigan's official misconduct and forgery.

Now tell me what I stole.

Wake-Up Call

Morning News Digest: September 9, 2010

Follow PolitickerNJ on Twitter and Facebook  Christie set to take his star power for a test driveWhile Bret Schundler's firing and subsequent verbal skirmish with his former boss continues to dominate the news cycle in New Jersey, the battle remains barely a blip on the national radar as Gov. Chris Christie continues to...

The Back Room

Healy still backing Perez on the sneak?

Hudson County Sheriff Juan Perez' campaign manager, Bob Knapp, told PolitickerNJ last week that Perez isn't speaking to the media on the campaign trail.

Read More >

Op-Ed

EduGate: Lost In Translation

While everyone is focused on who knew what and when did they know it, what's lost in translation is that the biggest losers in the EduGate debacle are the children and taxpayers of the State of New Jersey. I've been a somewhat lonely voice over... Read More >

Contributors

Can the Republicans Win Control of the U.S. Senate in 2010 ?    U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) serves as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.  When asked in... more »
 September 3, 2010: “Today is a day that is stupendous, for all of Ohio–––and all its descendents,” announced Gov. Ted Strickland in proclaiming today, September 3, officially... more »
The federal government will finish this fiscal year, ending September 30th, with a $1.4 trillion deficit.  Instead of reining in federal spending to get its fiscal house in order,... more »
Obviously, losing $400 million of federal funding in the education “Race to the Top” grant process was a major screw up that New Jersey just can’t afford.  Former Education... more »
Bullying Leader or Leading Bully? - Do polls asking if Chris Christie is a leader or a bully tell us whether voters think he is either?... more »
I never remember being so startled. A  college professor reminded our class that almost every freedom guaranteed to the American people in the Bill of Rights  was also guaranteed to... more »

Resources

Visit the PolitickerNJ.com/resources page for links to the best collection of information on New Jersey state government.

 

  • Polls
  • The best blogs
  • Columnists
  • State election results
  • Assembly election results
  • Local party websites
  • And more.

PolitickerNJ.com/resources