
When Jon Corzine was held to 77% of the vote in the 2009 Democratic primary against a former Glen Ridge mayor with no organization or money, a Guttenberg man claimed to have witnessed the U.S. government planning the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and a designer of coffee mugs from Phillipsburg, it was viewed as an indication that the incumbent governor had a problem with his base. Bergen County Executive Dennis C. McNerney might have a similar problem.
At the Bergen County Democratic convention last night -- where there was a contested race for an open Freeholder seat -- a full 40% of the Democratic County Committee did not turn out to vote. Of the 829 elected Democratic committee members who did attend, 119 (14%) did not vote for McNerney, who was unopposed. The vote was by machine.
Also troubling for Democrats was that Freeholder Director James Carroll ran 67 votes behind another incumbent, Elizabeth Calabrese, and 28 votes behind Northvale Mayor John Hogan, who had the support of Democratic County Chairman Michael Kasparian. Carroll might have had a larger problem had he not promised to drop his simultaneous re-election bid for Mayor of Demarest last week. Carroll, Calabrese and Hogan were the ordained candidates of the party leadership; major challengers, like former Freeholder Julie O’Brien, Westwood Mayor John Birkner, and Maywood Mayor Tim Eustace, dropped out when it became clear that Kasparian was pushing Hogan.
The conventional wisdom is that there in some uneasiness among a group of Bergen Democratic leaders who have not seen the party change much since the 2008 departure of County Chairman Joseph Ferriero, who has since been convicted on federal corruption charges. Earlier in the day, five-term Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood) beat up on Ferriero’s handpicked successor, Kasparian, for not delivering on a list of promised reforms. "He was brought in to be a reformer of the party," Johnson said of Kasparian. "But I have not seen much action in regard to him being the change agent the party needs.
There has been speculation for months that Democrats might try to replace McNerney on the ticket, possibly with Surrogate Michael Dressler or Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Englewood), but at least for now it appears the party is sticking with incumbent. Republicans, splintered for the last few years, have for the most part united behind five-term County Clerk Kathleen Donovan. Internal polls conducted for both parties show Donovan leading McNerney, a victory that would return control of county government back to the GOP for the first time since 2002.
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Look out
It's getting late early for the BCDO
and the winner in Nov is
Kathleen A Donovan by at least 25 %
Mcnerney has trouble with his base?
That's why he ran unopposed. haha I mean he has so much of a problem that no on ran against him!
Wally: did u get the sarcasm? Should i lay it on thicker?
MCNERNEY
When asked to vote on who the Bergen County Democratic Organization wanted to be their candidate for County Executive, 119 elected members of the Democratic County Committee (these are activists and workers) chose none of the above. Isn't that a sign worthy of a mention?
I AM ONE OF THE DEM CC members who didn't vote for McNerney.
Try writing article after article defending BCDO.
Holding coffee clotch after coffee clotch
Contribute money, time, effort and dedication to campaigns
and have him not only ignore you when you have a simple question - but go to your MAYOR AND TELL HER TO KEEP HIM THE HELL OUT OF HERE.
and all I had was a simple question that needed a yes or no answer.
Looks like Danny Ortega won't be the only one on the Unemployment Line.
couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
BTW, your name is Mackernerney, not Mc nerney..... has been.
Donovan by 25%
And the best indication is the Bergen County Democratic convention, "40% never show up to vote!" with a perfect weather and from those that attended "14% skip McNerney" WOW!
like I said "ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS"
Many Democrats are openly making Donovan their choice for
November. I guess they want to be on the winning side.
WHEN THE THRUTH COMES OUT THE LIE CAN'T PREVAIL
mcnerney wins hands down
TRUTH BE TOLD Mcnerney wins hands down all you have to look at is Donovans 30 years as a politician.... Her record at Assemblywoman, State Republican Chair, Port Authority Chair and County Clerk. She has bumbled every job. As county clerk mortgages and deeds took months to record causing the Bergen County Bar Association to express concern, there is money missing in the clerks office, sexual harasments suits filed and lets not forget the waste of millions of taxpayer dollars waisted by Donovan at the Port Authority on art, helicopter and limo rides
THE END
There once was a guy named McNerney
Who got lost on a political journey
He spent all his days in a political haze
and in the end he was strapped to a gurney
I wonder
if McNothing was one of the 14%. Do you think someone forgot to tell him to vote for himself?
Thank you, Bohemond, great stuff!
Oh, I almost forgot...eight more months!
This is the dumbest thing I read today.
Politicker really needs to consider such nonsense, well as nonsense.
To compare what Jon Corzine got in an actual primary vote to what Dennis McNerney received UNOPPOSED in a nominating convention is beyond ludicrious.
This is just a cheap shot inference when either side has any polling indicating who is the lead and who is more popular with voters!
Dennis has never lost a race. Donovan has lost 5 times!
Even if you waited to make the apples to apples comparison on the June primary ballot, unopposed candidates at the top of the ticket wil always find themselves receiving less votes than those in contested elections.
This is just dim-witted and proves nothing.
Talk about a slow news day.
Its not the 1992 !!! Pat where are YOU!!
"Wow, looks like the Republicans really want some non-story to become a story. They must be really trying to hide something. Is it possible that 58 year never married Ms. Kathleen Donovan may have a "Jim McGreevey issue"??? Could Yudin have begun to realize they are desperate and wake up to find out its not the 1992 Pat Schuber election - that its 2010 and the BCRO has two rightwing TEA-PARTY members as freeholders, opposed to Lesbian-gay marriage! Why hasnt Ms Donovan taken a position on Lesbian marriage? Now thats an issue? Its bound to come up! Then what? McNerney wins by default when the infighting starts? Come on people wake up!! We need a real challenger!! Wally woould like.
Really 5 times!! Better check your facts !!
There is no way she has lost 5 races! Lol!! thats laughable!! no one gets to her level being a loser. I definitly think she is not the right candidate to go against McNerney but to say she has lost 5 times is just reckless!!. Check your facts man!!
Why Donovan the SUPER- Incumbent !!!!
While I'm on a roll today... What possessed party leadership to pick a Super Incumbent like Donovan to go against McNerney???? Next to her he looks like the bright new face of change! I mean really!! She has been around so long through so much that has gone wrong with BC that she can’t bring change! Does she actually think that’s going to fly? Why doesn’t the party see we need someone new that will actually bring change! Hellooo!! Hasn’t anyone else in the party noticed the anti incumbent mood of the country!! So why pick a candidate who’s been in office twice as long as McNerney!! Please take your heads out of you @%$@% and smell the winds of change! "Super-incumbent" Definition: Quarter century or more in office also.. see Kathy Donovan> and or No wonder McNerney Hasn't lost a race! We just hand it to him.. jeezzz
5 Time Loser
May, 1981 - Lyndhurst Commissioner's race
November, 1987 - NJ Senate race to incumbent Gabe Ambrosio
November, 1996 - US Congress, open seat of Bob Torricelli to Democrat Steve Rothman
April, 2002 - BCRO nominating convention for county executive to Senator Hank McNamara
June, 2006 - Loses Republican Primary to Todd Caliguire for the office of county executive.
That's 5 times.
Any questions?
McGreevey issue???
Freeholder Leader Bernie Madoff Hermansen is supporting the "SUPER INCUMBENT", so it is ok. trust him.
any questions demsanddonts
5 times losing is nothing. Love Kathe or not
you have to admire her willingnes to run.
Running 5 - 10 - 15 times gets you superb
name recognition
That's what someone usually says to justify
the amount of defeats she's taken at the polls and within her own party's nominating process.
Correction.
Pat Schuber was elected county executive in 1990 when he defeated former freeholder-director and state senator Jeremiah F O'Connor, who also served as mayor of Saddle Brook.
Schuber was an Assemblyman at the time of his election. he succeeded the late William F McDowell.
Schuber was re-elected in 1994 when he defeated Democrat Ed Hynes, a former legislator and was re-elected to a third term in 1998 when he defeated then Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg of Teaneck in a close contest.