March 9, 2009 - 9:00am
Inside Edge

In Bergen, Calabrese is no longer the front runner

In the race for the Republican nomination for Bergen County Freeholder, John Driscoll and Robert Hermansen won decisive victories at the Northeastern Republican Organization (NERO) convention on Saturday.  While NERO is essentially a scrimmage, it is the first formal test of strength before the Bergen County Republican Organization (BCRO) convention on March 19, and therefore an important barometer of political support.

Driscoll, a Paramus GOP activist who has lost races for Borough Council and State Assembly, was the top vote-getter with 177 votes.  Hermansen, a Mahwah Councilman, placed second with 153 votes – substantially more than the early front runner, ’08 Freeholder candidate Chris Calabrese, who received 89 votes.  Two other contenders finished far behind: Judith Fisher of Fort Lee won 24 votes, and Sabaudin "Sab" Skenderi, a perennial candidate from Wyckoff, received just seven votes.

Wally Edge can be reached via email at politicsnj@aol.com.