A promises endorsement from a subset of Bergen County Republicans led by Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo never materialized last night, in part because the only candidate who showed up was former Hackensack Mayor Jack Zisa. It appears that incumbent Paul DiGaetano is bowing out – although he won’t confirm it – and Zisa is inheriting his base. Zisa was unacceptable to the Rendo group.
The bigger problem for Bergen County Republicans is the calendar. Party by-laws require all potential candidates – at least those who want to run on the organization line – to file a letter of intent with DiGaetano by February 1. Right now, the Republicans have no candidates to run against Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, or for the Board of Freeholders.
The GOP has a contested race for Congress in the fifth district, where former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan an attorney John McCann both want to take on freshman Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff). And presumably, they’ll have a U.S. Senate candidate. Otherwise, the line ends there.