Todd Caliguire

Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli took on vacation to Italy with State Senator Joseph Coniglio, the target of a federal corruption probe, and Dennis Oury, the lawyer for the Bergen County Democratic Organization.

Jon Corzine decided to take a quick trip to Portugal to attend a global warming conference seven days before the mid-term elections. And for writing a personal check to Rocco Ricco, Carla Katz’s ‘ner do well brother-in-law.

Atlantic County Sheriff Jim McGettigan, in his dismal race for County Executive, criticized the county for hiring porn industry lawyer Eric Bernstein (he calls himself a first amendment attorney) as a labor counsel – without revealing that Bernstein represented McGettigan.
And then, after attacking him, he wrote asking for a campaign contribution.

Assemblyman Gordon Johnson gave $1,850 of his own money to a group run by Lyndon LaRouche. Dumber move: he said he didn’t know LaRouche was a racist.

Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow faced assault charges after allegedly shoving a Republican Committeewoman during a rancorous Hunterdon primary.

Toms River Council President Greg McGuckin owed the IRS over $100k, and he didn’t think his opponents in the race for Mayor would find out.

Even though she knew he had been convicted of sexually assaultin  a 13-year-old girl, State Senator-elect Sandra Bolden Cunningham allowed 45-year-old Russell Wallace to work on her campaign.

Republican State Senator Nicholas Asselta spent 39 months of his life believing that Democratic Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew would no  run against him. He lost by 5,000 votes.

Perennial candidate Todd Caliguire designed a mailer that called his Senate primary opponent Kevin O’Toole “the Republican Al Sharpton” —saying that O’Toole’s “Asian/Korean” heritage gave him protection in redistricting.

Prudential executive Gabriella Morris to fill a vacant Republican seat on the Election Law Enforcement Commission. She last a couple of days before Gov Jon Corzine realized he couldn’t name a government affairs executive to regulate lobbyists.

If Democrats really wanted to get serious about ousting Congressman Scott Garrett next year, they would recruit Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney to run.  In the fifth district towns, McNerney won 54% of the vote in his 2006 re-election campaign against Republican Todd Caliguire (and 60% countywide), and carried 23 of the 36 municipalitie in Garrett's district. A recent Democratic poll in Bergen County shows him with job approval ratings countywide at over 60%. 

In a Letter to the Editor published by The Record on Sunday, former Bergen County Republican Chairman Guy Talarico denied any role in a controversial campaign mailer in the 40th district State Senate primary that compared Kevin O'Toole to the Rev. Al Sharpton.  Talarico, who resigned the day after the primary, backed Todd Caliguire for the Senate seat.

Todd Caliguire, who lost his bid for State Senate in the 40th district Republican primary, has apologized for his role in a late campaign mailing that compared rival Kevin O'Toole to the Rev. Al Sharpton:

An “insurgent” Republican primary campaign against a popular, prominent figure. Campaign literature that refers to an opponent as a “loser.” An inflammatory flyer that has brought accusations of race baiting.

Depending on who you’re talking to, the 40th district Republican primary is either a spirited campaign by the underdog, Todd Caliguire, or Guy Talarico’s last grasp at power and influence within the Bergen County Republican Party.

The Bergen County Republican Organization has paid for a direct mail piece that calls Kevin O'Toole "the Republican Al Sharpton" -- saying that O'Toole's "Asian/Korean" heritage gave him protection in redistricting. According to the BCRO, three other Republican legislators lost their seats because O'Toole was "given protection as a minority."

Todd Caliguire is wasting taxpayer money by contesting his ballot position in court and should pay the costs, according to the campaign of his GOP primary rival. 

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.

State Senate candidate Kevin O’Toole will get to keep his ballot position on column one along with his freeholder slate in the June 6th Republican primary for the 40th district, confirmed O’Toole spokesman Matthew Kazmierczyk.

Republican fundraiser Joseph Caruso has accused Guy Talarico of hogging money raised at a Giuliani fundraiser for his own pet primary battle. The money, he said, was intended for local Republican campaigns against Democrats – not primaries.