Scott Rumana

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani has picked up some more New Jersey endorsements, including Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, Assemblymen James Holzapfel and Samuel Thompson, Passaic County GOP Chairman Scott Rumana, Gloucester County GOP Chairwoman Loren Oglesby, and Republican State Committee Vice Chairwoman Lynda Pagliughi.

Rudy Giuliani won 66% of the vote at the Passaic County GOP convention today. Mitt Romney came in second with 17%.: Getty Images Photo
In New Jersey's first open convention of the 2008 campaign, the Passaic County Regular Republican Organization has endorsed Rudy Giulani for President.

Giuliani won 66% of the vote, garnering 77 out of the 117 votes cast. Mitt Romney came in second with 19 votes, followed by John McCain and Fred Thompson with seven each, Ron Paul with four and Mike Huckabee with three. Sam Brownback, Duncan Hunter, and Tom Tancredo failed to receive any votes.

Take Assemblyman David Russo off the list of potential candidates for Bergen County Republican Chairman: he’s backing attorney Rob Ortiz for the post.   Ortiz, a 35-year-old Ridgewood resident and Giuliani fundraiser, also won the backing of Assemblyman Kevin O’Toole, the Essex County GOP Chairman, and Passaic County GOP Chairman Scott Rumana, the Mayor of Wayne.  O’Toole, Russo and Rumana are the favorites to represent the Bergen-based 40th district in the Legislature next year.

O'TOOLE, RUSSO AND RUMANA ENDORSE ROB ORTIZ FOR BCRO CHAIR
Officials and activists across Bergen County support Ortiz effort to "Bring Bergen Back!"

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. (June 15, 2007) – On the heels of yesterday's announcement that Robert A. Ortiz, Jr., Esq. is running for Chairman of the Bergen County Republican Organization (BCRO), three influential Fortieth District Republican leaders announce their united endorsement. Assemblyman Kevin J. O’Toole, Assemblyman David Russo and Wayne Mayor Scott Rumana are proud to declare their support for Rob Ortiz.

Former Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano is expected to drop his bid for Republican State Chairman, and is mulling opportunities to team up with one of the remaining candidates according to sources close the negotiations.  Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore has reportedly offered DiGaetano a new position -- Co-Chairman -- if he would back incumbent Tom Wilson for the post. 

David Russo had little trouble winning renomination to a tenth term in the State Assembly, even though he was dumped from the Bergen County Republican Organization line.   Now some Republicans are suggesting that the Ridgewood attorney become the next Bergen County GOP Chairman. 

The Republican primary battle in that district echoes last week’s reverence for Ronald Reagan at the Republican Presidential debate, with both of the leading State Senate candidates evoking the Gipper to set them apart from the rest of the state’s Republican Party.

Former Bergen County Freeholder Todd Caliguire and Assemblyman Kevin O’Toole are the main contenders for the Republican nomination for the Senate seat of Henry P. McNamara, who’s retiring after serving as a Senator for 22 years. Caliguire is running with two Assembly candidates: conservative activist John Ginty and Wayne Councilman Joseph Schweighardt. O’Toole, the frontrunner, shares a line with incumbent Assemblyman David Russo and Wayne Mayor Scott Rumana. A third candidate, Wayne attorney Victor K. Rabbat, is in the race as well.

The spokesman for two Republican County Chairman running for the Legislature says that GOP State Chairman Tom Wilson should either "demand" the resignation of Bergen County Republican Chairman Guy Talarico, or "someone should be calling on Wilson to step aside."

Thom Ammirato, who works for Assemblyman Kevin O'Toole, the Essex GOP Chairman running for State Senate, and Wayne Mayor Scott Rumana, the Passaic GOP Chairman seeking an Assemby seat, says that "Rome in is buring and Tom Wilson, aka Nero, is fiddling."