Is McNerney's fate tied to Ferriero trial?

Bergen County Democrats continue to list Sheriff Leo McGuire as a top candidate for County Executive next year, if Dennis McNerney does not seek re-election to a third term.  McNerney's political future is somewhat dependant on the outcome of former Democratic County Chairman Joseph Ferriero's federal corruption trial.  While McNerney has not been accused on any wrong doing, some insiders say that his extraordinarily close ties to Ferriero might be a reason why Democrats ask him to find another job.

How do Sheriff's fare in their bids for higher office? Typically a Sheriff declines to give up the security of their office -- the last elected county law enforcement officials to lose re-election were Democrat James McGettigan in Atlantic County in 2008, Republican Joel Trella in Bergen County in 2004 and Democrat James Forcinito in Cumberland County in 1999. Despite the traditional popularity of a Sheriff, their successes in running for another office tend to be mixed. Republican Bill McDowell was elected Bergen County Executive in 1986 and Democrat Thomas D'Alessio captured the Essex County Executive post in 1990. Both served just one term: McDowell walked away on his own, D'Alessio taken out in handcuffs. 

And McGettigan lost his re-election bid largely because he made some enemies running for Atlantic County Executive in 2007.

Gloucester County Sheriff John Hunt was elected to Congress in 1966 and served until Jim Florio beat him in 1974. Passaic County Sheriff Frank Davenport, a Republican, won a State Senate seat in a Democratic district in the Democratic landside of 1973. Cape May Sheriff Beech Fox lost a challenge to Democratic Congressman Bill Hughes in 1980. The last two Burlington County Sheriffs, Gary Daniel (1999) and Jean Stanfield (2003), have failed to unseat incumbent Democratic Assemblymen. Gilbert Lugossey, who retired as Mercer County Sheriff, lost a 1991 race for Mercer County Freeholder and a State Senate race to Republican Peter Inverso in 1997. His successor, Sheriff Samuel Plumeri, lost to Inverso in 2001.