Dumont mayor quietly drops re-election bid

After Dumont’s mayor’s hushed and unexpected withdrawal from his re-election bid, Republicans have a clear shot at gaining complete control in one of New Jersey’s premier swing towns.

Without any public announcement, Democrat Andrew LaBruno ended his campaign on August 4.   Democrats quietly replaced him on the ballot with a political newcomer, Nicola Attanasio, in a race against Republican John Russell, a councilman.

The retrofitted race could be a foreboding sign for Dumont, a middle-class Bergen County suburb, and even Democratic leaders across the state – while energizing Republicans.

“Serving as Mayor of Dumont has been an incredible honor. Our team accomplished significant projects for our town, including new roads, park improvements, community events, and more. I am forever grateful for the experiences and all of the residents I have worked with to help move our town forward,” LaBruno said in a statement to the New Jersey Globe. “However, after much deliberation with my family, I have withdrawn from the Mayoral race, and I am shifting my priorities.”

Instead, LaBruno said his professional focus will be on the Jersey City Police Department, where he is a police sergeant and a former president of the Jersey City Superior Officers union.

“I will remain committed to serving in elected office in the future and helping elect Democrats serve our town, County, and the Great State of New Jersey,” he said.

LaBruno won the mayorship in 2019 with a healthy 54% of the vote; that election also saw two Democrats, Lisa Rossillo and Conor Gorman, win borough council seats.

Come January 2024, none of these candidates will be in public office – and Republicans are looking to capitalize on it.

Republicans have steadily been increasing their power in Dumont over these past few years; they currently control four of the six council seats and are in striking distance of flipping Dumont to one-party control if they win the mayoralty and all six council seats.

Leading that charge for the Republicans is Russell – who, in 2021, with his running mate Mary Nova, ousted another pair of incumbent Democrats, Damon Englese and Keunsoo Chae.

Attanasio is the chairman of Dumont’s Joint Land Use Board.

Republicans might feel optimistic about their chances, but Dumont is a swing town.

Power in Dumont is usually fleeting and divided; the town cannot be categorized as either Democratic or Republican, given how often residents split votes and how often their support boomerangs between parties.

Recent elections bear these trends out. In the 2021 election, the borough supported Gov. Phil Murphy, who narrowly won 52% of the vote, while Republican State Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-River Vale) carried Dumont with 50.5%.

In federal elections, Dumont goes more frequently for Democrats.  Joe Biden and Cory Booker won it in 2020, and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff) was victorious in Dumont in each of his four congressional runs.

Even with Gottheimer and Bergen County Executive James Tedesco accumulating double-digit margins last year, Republicans won three council seats in 2022 by roughly 200 votes.  And in 2021, GOP council candidates narrowly won two other seats; Russell was elected by a 52-vote margin.

The two Democrats who won council seats in 2020, Carole Stewart and George Harvilla, are not seeking re-election this year.  Instead, Andrew Warta and Michael Francavilla will face Republicans Daniel Labarbera and Brian Harris.