Rob Ortiz

The latest controversy among Bergen County Republicans: the hotly contested election for County Chairman has been scheduled for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.  The party’s policy committee met tonight and considered a proposal to extend the voting hours until 10:30 PM, a time that would allow Orthodox Jews to vote – but shot it down by a 6-3 vote.

The race to watch next week is the contest for Bergen County Republican Chairman, where incumbent Rob Ortiz, who took over after embattled party leader Guy Talarico resigned last June, faces a challenge from former Freeholder candidate Robert Yudin and former Bergen County Utilities Authority Chairman Ben Focarino, an old hand in the BCRO who ran against Ortiz last year. Ortiz has faced criticism for, among other things, promoting the embattled Andy Unanue for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination earlier this year.

The race for Bergen County Republican Chairman between incumbent Robert Ortiz and challenger Robert Yudin is being viewed as a proxy fight of sorts between two outsiders with influence over Bergen County politics.  Ortiz has the backing of State Sen. Kevin O’Toole, the Essex County Republican Chairman, while Yudin is receiving help from former Assembly Majority Leader and gubernatorial candidate Paul DiGaetano.  O’Toole and DiGaetano are political rivals whose relationship has deteriorated exponentially over the last two years.

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 non-partisan municipal elections proved to be a bad night for party chairmen in Bergen County.  Teaneck Councilman Elnatan Rudolph, a political ally of Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero, lost his bid for re-election.  And two incumbents in Ridgewood supported by Bergen County GOP Chairman Robert Ortiz lost.

A robocall in Ridgewood caused a stir in the village’s municipal elections this week, with all of the candidates it supported disowning it.

The call, made by the Bergen County Republican Organization (BCRO) on Sunday, voiced support for council incumbents Betty Wiest, Jacques Harlow and new council candidate Keith Killion.

According to Killion’s campaign manager, Ron Verdicchio, the call sounded “as if Keith Killion was running with and endorsing Jacque Harlow and Betty Wiest.” Killion, the town’s second-in-command policeman, is actually endorsing two other non-incumbent candidates: Paul Aronsohn and Anne Zusy.

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Zimmer Or Lautenberg – More Of The Same

For Dick Zimmer to get on the ballot in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, he’ll need two votes from the three members of Andy Unanue’s Committee on Vacancies: Bergen County Republican Chairman Rob Ortiz; Mark Duffy, a GOP operative who became Unanue’s campaign manager after Anne Estabrook dropped out of the race; and Rafael Cueller, a supermarket owner from Clifton and a friend of Unanue.  Cueller “is currently awaiting Senate confirmation for a Presidential appointment to the National Cooperative Bank, according to his company’s website.