Kathleen Donovan

State Sen. Bill Baroni will chair the New Jersey Delegation to the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis
Republicans tonight elected State Sen. Bill Baroni to serve as Chairman of the New Jersey Delegation to the Republican National Convention. Baroni is the Chairman of John McCain’s New Jersey campaign. Atlantic County GOP Chairman Keith Davis and Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose were named to the Platform Committee.

Published reports that Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero has been subpoenaed as part of a federal criminal probe related to his ownership of a company that helps secure government grants could – and likely will -- turn New Jersey’s political landscape upside-down. Bergen is still politically competitive, but Ferriero’s fundraising and organization has kept Democrats in the victory column. Some insiders suggest that Ferriero’s current legal woes will hamper his ability to raise money, and allow his rival, State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, to enhance her clout among Bergen Democrats.

The Bergen County Republican Organization reports that for the first time in almost five years, they will begin the campaign cycle with no debt. That’s a feather in the cap of Robert Ortiz, who became County Chairman last June after the embattled Guy Talarico resigned. The BCRO is pledging to mount the “largest countywide campaign in recent memory” as they seek to re-elect County Clerk Kathleen Donovan and compete for three seats on the Board of Freeholders.

Is Kathleen Donovan headed to the bench?In Bergen County, Republicans only have one county-wide elected official: Kathleen Donovan, the County Clerk since 1988.

That could soon change.

Multiple sources from both parties say that Donovan’s name has been suggested to Gov. Corzine for a nomination to a Superior Court judgeship by Democratic state Sen. Paul Sarlo.

Donovan, a former GOP State Chairwoman and one-term Assemblywoman, would not confirm or deny the prospect of her taking a judicial post.

Assemblywoman-elect Caroline Casagrande becomes the youngest woman to ever win election to the New Jersey Legislature.  At age 30, she is three years younger than Republican Barbara Curran was when she won in 1973, and three years younger than Kathleen Donovan was when she ousted Democratic incumbents in 1985. 

Wojciech Siemaszkiewicz, the Republican candidate for State Assembly in the 37th district, appears to have a valid complaint against a fellow Republican, Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan.  The sample ballots in District 37 list the Democratic incumbents, Loretta Weinberg, Gordon Johnson and Valerie Huttle in a larger, bolder font than the GOP challengers.  While the incumbents have qualified for the "Clean Elections" designation, there is nothing in the law that allows Clean Elections candidates to have their names printed in bigger type on the ballot; indeed, the law specifically requires the names of candidates to be the same size.

It's put up or shut up time for Bergen County Republican Chairman Rob Ortiz.

Insiders say that Ortiz was elected County Chairman last summer to replace Guy Talarico mainly because of his self proclaimed skills as a uber fundraiser. He boasted of raising funds for state and national candidates and of being a member of the New Jersey State Republican Committee Chairman's Club (although it turned out he hadn't paid his $1,000 initiation fee). The party faithful took Ortiz seriously, and candidates for county and local office eagerly awaited the flow of campaign funds for the first time in years. (Kathleen Donovan's primary campaign for county executive in 2006 raised more money than the county organization raised in two full years).

Bergen County Democrats would like Kathleen Donovan to become a Superior Court Judge within the next year, since that would increase their chances of winning the County Clerk’s post that has eluded them since Donovan first won in 1988.

There has been speculation about Donovan’s judicial ambitions before, and some Republicans say he greatest obstacle has been State Senator Gerald Cardinale, a fellow Republican who has been allied with Donovan rivals over the years. Their feud goes back to 1989, when Donovan supported Jim Courter for Governor against two Bergen candidates, Cardinale and former Attorney General Cary Edwards.

Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan and former Assemblywoman Lisa Randall have endorsed attorney Robert Ortiz for Bergen County GOP Chairman. 

Ortiz, a 35-year-old Republican fundraiser from Ridgewood, is running in a special election to succeed Guy Talarico, who resigned the day after the primary.

How important is it to have the first column in the 40th district Republican primary? It depends who you ask.

An appellate judge ruled today that there would be no redrawing for ballot positions, which State Senate candidate and former Bergen County Freeholder Todd Caliguire and his slate of Bergen County Republican Organization backed candidates had sought. His team, “The Red Faction” will be allowed to bracket, but will be on line three of the ballot. Wayne attorney Victor Rabbat, who’s not affiliated with any organization, will be in column two. Assemblyman Kevin O’Toole, whose slate is backed by the Essex and Passaic County Republican organizations, has column one.