2005
North Arlington Council Race:
Fanning,
Hughes & McDermott to challenge Tanelli, Ferriero
and Yampaglia?
Republicans
look to break 7-0 Democratic majority come the fall
contest.
Filing
deadline is April 11th to run in June Primary.
NORTH
ARLINGTON - Sources say that Republicans are expected
to back former police officer Gary Fanning, former
borough employee Scott Hughes and last year's last
place finisher George McDermott for the three council
seats currently held by Council President James Ferriero,
Councilman Steve Tanelli and Councilman Mark Yampaglia.
Monday,
April 11th is the formal deadline to submit petitions
for nomination in the June primary. The 2005 ballot
will include the race for governor, two assembly seats,
two freeholder seats and three seats for the borough
council. United States Senator Jon Corzine is seeking
his party's nomination for governor and is not expected any
serious opposition. The Republicans have a wide open
affair for their party's nomination which includes
Doug Forrester, former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler,
Morris County Freeholder John Murphy, Nutley Assemblyman
Paul DiGaetano, Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, Robert
Schroeder and former Bergen County Freeholder Todd
Caliguire.
For
the New Jersey Assembly, incumbent freshman Fred Scalera
is seeking a second three-year term with ex-Republican
Gary Schaer, a Passaic City councilman. Several Republicans
aligned with various gubernatorial candidates are
expected to file for the two seats. Incumbent Republican
Paul DiGaetano is not seeking reelection to a ninth
term.
For
freeholder, incumbent Democrats Ganz of Fairlawn
and McPherson of Rutherford will probably run unopposed.
Several Republican slates are expected to file as
part of the overall strategy of the gubernatorial
campaign. Paul DiGaetano has been awarded the line
here in Bergen.
Locally,
Gary Fanning would try to become the third retired
policeman to join the governing body.
Retired
NAPD sergeant Peter C. Massa and retired Jersey City
sergeant Phil Spanola were both elected in last year's
Democratic landslide. Fanning, who is now employed
by Queen of Peace High School was widely expected
to become the borough's new police chief if Democrats
did not sweep to power in 2003. Democrats tapped Lou
Ghione earlier this year to replace Frank Italiano
who retired.
While
the local GOP has changed leadership with former Democrat
Robert Cerco serving as municipal chairman, sources
tell NA Today that ex-Mayor Leonard R. Kaiser and
former municipal chairman James Bocchino are still
directing the party's business.
"Cerco
is chairman in name only. Kaiser and Bocchino run
the local Republican party here in North Arlington,"
said one local insider who refused to be identified.
While
it seems that the GOP ticket is set, the Democrats
will have no surprises with Ferriero and Tanelli seeking
second terms with Yampaglia looking to fill the remainder
of the term of former Councilwoman Carey Shaftan who
moved to Sparta earlier this year. Should Yampaglia
win, he would take office immediately and have to
run again next year for reelection with Mayor Russ
Pitman and Councilman Pat Roche.
Should
Hughes seek a seat on the governing body, he'll have
some explaining to do to voters.
The
former $60,000 a year Crime Analyst position
Hughes held was abolished by Mayor Pitman in
last year's reorganization of local government. Hughes
is supposedly a supporter of former Vermont Governor
Dr. Howard Dean, a 2004 presidential hopeful and new
chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
A former member of the North Arlington Board of Education,
Hughes resigned last week while trying to keep his
name on the ballot even though he was no longer a
candidate for that position. The courts have since
ruled Hughes cannot be a candidate for the seat he
has resigned.
If
Hughes is running as a Republican, he will have had
to change his party's registration to qualify as a
candidate for the GOP nomination for borough
council.
For
McDermott, the former independent has been running
since his last place finish in November. If he doesn't
file as a Republican, most observers expect him to file
as an independent again this summer.
Should
the Republicans win come November, the council would
be split 3-3 with Mayor Russ Pitman breaking the tie
for Democrats. Pitman's opponent in 2006 is most likely
one of this year's candidates should they be
successful.
"Should
Fanning win in November, odds are he will challenge
Pitman in 2006. This election has huge implications
for both parties as well as the proposed redevelopment
by EnCap. Republicans feel betrayed by the developer
and are prepared to oppose the new proposal come the
fall campaign," predicted one Democratic operative.
While
Democrats mull over the proposal, EnCap has become
a huge issue in the neighboring Lyndhurst commission
race where longtime incumbent Mayor James Guida finds
himself in a close race with a ticket led by Richard
DiLascio, the son of former township commissioner
John DiLascio.
"Encap
is becoming more and more a political football in
North Arlington, Lyndhurst and Rutherford. The results
of the Lyndhurst race will no doubt effect the balance
of power in North Arlington as well as Rutherford, observed
another insider who has polled EnCap's proposal on
more than one occasion.
