Party-backed Passaic candidates fend off Bernie-backed challenger

Incumbent County Commissioner Orlando Cruz and Clifton Democratic Club President Nick Veliky won the nomination for Passaic County Commissioner, holding off a serious challenge from a progressive outsider, the New Jersey Globe projects. 

As of 9 p.m., Cruz led with 14,347 votes, and Veliky followed with 12,443. CAIR Action NJ senior adviser Ali Aljarrah trailed with 6,600 votes, and Ralph Feliciano finished last with 4,317. 

The race gained attention from state and national figures.

Veteran County Commissioner Bruce James is not seeking re-election.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Senator Cory Booker, Rep. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon), and former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way endorsed Cruz and Veliky. Aljarrah’s status as a threat was solidified when Senator Bernie Sanders endorsed him, as did Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. 

The fourth candidate, Ralph Feliciano, lacked serious backing.

Cruz and Veliky will face Republicans Daniel Sagan and Bill Rodriguez. 

The win is also a victory for Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie, whose machine faced a serious test — its third in as many years.

In 2024, just as U.S. District Court Judge Zahid Quraishi abolished the county line system, Passaic Democrats fought off an aggressive, well-financed challenge from Jerry Speziale, who was trying to regain the Sheriff’s office he held from 2001 to 2011. Last year, the organization lost an Assembly primary in the 35th district to Kenyatta Stewart.

Passaic County Democrats will still need to fill another county commissioner post for the November ballot following an announcement yesterday that John Bartlett will resign after nearly five terms to become the general counsel of the Gateway Development Corporation. There will be no primary; the candidate for a November special election to fill Bartlett’s unexpired term will be picked in a vote of the Passaic Democratic county committee members.

Zoila Casanova was renominated for a second term as Passaic County Surrogate without opposition. She will face Republican Jessica Sprague, an influential attorney, in the general election.