MOONACHIE – There stood Bergen County Democratic Committee Chairman Lou Stellato in the bowels of the Graycliff and the only question that came to mind was what happened.
Bergen performed, he told PolitickerNJ.com – just not as well as Passaic.
“Steve Rothman beat Bill Pascrell 3-1 in Bergen,” the just re-elected chairman said. “That’s not bad.
“If we had been sitting here a year ago and we anticipated that there would have been higher turnout in the Democratic Primary than in the municipal election, no one would have believed that,” he added, when asked about Bill Pascrell’s 61-39% victory over Steve Rothman.
This was Stellato standing on the shiny tiles inside the Moonachie pleasure dome watching his cross-the-river ally enter the building – one of many Schaer allies who crammed a big banquet hall.
Passaic County Democratic Committee Chairman John Currie greeted Stellato and then both men embraced Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-36).
Schaer stood on the losing side of Pascrell’s walloping of Rothman, and this evening’s fundraising goal – in addition to the usual coffers replenishment – was to get those confirmed statements of support from both chairmen, which came in the form of microphone-aided ayes.
“One of the hardest working assembly people we have in Trenton,” Currie said of Schaer. “He truly is a great representative for the people of the 36th District. We’re going to focus on November but we’re also looking forward to his re-election come this time next year.”
On the introduction by Freeholder candidate Steve Tanelli, Stellato stepped up with his own statement moments later.
“After we win in November, we are ready to endorse you,” the Bergen Chairman said. “John Currie and I have made that pledge and we will work arm in arm to get you re-elected again.”
Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco said, “We have to come together and support our great Assemblyman Gary Schaer” to applause.
At the conclusion of his remarks, the assemblyman, vice chair of the budget committee, received a standing ovation.
