Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly) has secured over 100 endorsements of legislators, county officials, mayors, and Democratic leaders in his home county of Bergen in his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2025, giving him an early organizational lead in the state’s largest county.
Bergen County has 256,911 registered Democrats – the second highest in the state – and represents 10.1% of the total statewide primary electorate.
Paul Juliano, the Bergen County Democratic chairman, endorsed Gottheimer. So did Bergen County Executive James Tedesco.
All three Democratic state senators from Bergen – Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge), Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood), and Joe Lagana (D-Paramus) – and the five Bergen residents who serve in the State Assembly: Clinton Calabrese (D-Cliffside Park), Shama Haider (D-Tenafly), Ellen Park (D-Englewood Cliffs), Lisa Swain (D-Fair Lawn), and Christopher Tully (D-Bergenfield).
Sheriff Anthony Cureton, County Clerk John Hogan, and all seven Bergen County commissioners – Germaine Ortiz, Mary Amoroso, Joan Voss, Tom Sullivan, Tracy Zur, Rafael Marte, and Steve Tanelli – are also on board for Gottheimer’s candidacy.
Including Sarlo, the mayor of Wood-Ridge, thirty Democratic mayors have signed on in support of Gottheimer: Paul Tomasko, Alpine; Arvin Amatorio, Bergenfield; Thomas Calabrese, Cliffside Park; Brian Bernstein, Demarest; Jeffrey Lahullier, East Rutherford; Michael McPartland, Edgewater; Michael Wildes, Englewood; Violeta Berisha, Fairview; Gail Friedberg Rottenstrich, Fair Lawn; Mark Sokolich, Fort Lee; Rich Rigoglioso, Garfield; Kristine Morieko, Glen Rock; Heather Wasser, Haworth; Michael Sheinfeld, Hillsdale; Bill Ziegler, Leonia; Mauro Raguseo, Little Ferry; Scott Luna, Lodi; Robert Giangeruso, Lyndhurst; Richard Bolan, Maywood; Dennis Vaccaro, Moonachie; Mike Putrino, New Milford; Paul Kim, Palisades Park; Keith Misciagna, Park Ridge; Hugo Jimenez, Ridgefield; Tom Papaleo, River Edge; Frank Nunziato, Rutherford; Robert White, Saddle Brook; Yris Encarnacion, South Hackensack; and Mark Zinna, Tenafly.
Gottheimer has secured endorsements from 59 Democratic municipal chairs: Michelle Rupar, Bogota; Walter Beese, Carlstadt; Gerry Calabrese, Cliffside Park; Kathy Savas, Cresskill; Damon Englese, Dumont; Dannielle Leigh, East Rutherford; Sandy Balistrieri, Elmwood Park; Willie Ortiz, Emerson; Pat Drimones, Englewood Cliffs; Melvina Cobb, Englewood; Daniel Zwillenberg, Fair Lawn; Russell Martin, Fairview; Marc Macri, Fort Lee; Patrick Hunter, Franklin Lakes; Lou Ann Visotcky, Garfield; Lynne Hurwitz, Hackensack; John Schettino, Harrington Park; Dana Reyngoudt, Hasbrouck Height; Glenn Poosikian, Haworth; Larry Meyerson, Hillsdale; Dennis McNerney, Ho-Ho-Kus, a former Bergen County Executive; Judah Zeigler, Leonia; Vincent Martin, Lodi; Louis Stellato, Lyndhurst, a former Bergen County Democratic Chairman; Sally Monahan, Mahwah; Marian Plumley, Midland Park; Jay Kimball, Montvale; Dennis Vaccaro, Moonachie; Frances “Randi” Duffie, New Milford; Nick Antonicello, Sr., North Arlington; John Hogan, Northvale; Alan Rappaport, Norwood; John Biale, Oakland; John Shahdanian II, Old Tappan; Tim Smith, Oradell; Melissa Caminiti, Paramus; Robert Metzdorf, Park Ridge; Jennifer Sauer, Ramsey; Catherine Suarez, Ridgefield; Junior Hernandez, Ridgefield Park; Frank Del Vecchio, Ridgewood, the District 40 chairman; Marie Papaleo, River Edge; Andrew Mattson, Rochelle Park; Denise Ross, Rutherford; Dave Gierek, Saddle Brook; Todd Sherer, Saddle River, the District 40 chairman; James Anzevino, South Hackensack; Lee Brigham, Upper Saddle River; Louis Tedesco, Washington Township; Erin Collins, Westwood; Donna Abene, Woodcliff Lake; Amatorio; Bernstein; Kim; Haider, Sarlo; and District 37 Chairman Johnny Bang. He also has the backing of: former Bergen County Freeholder Elizabeth Calabrese, the Wallington vice chair; Dumont Vice Chair Lisa Rossillo; Connie Carpenter of the Latino American Democratic Organization of New Jersey; and Fair Lawn Deputy Mayor Cristina Cutrone, the president of Women Empowered Democratic Organization of Bergen County.
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop has won some endorsements in Bergen County, including Hackensack Mayor John Labrosse, Teaneck Mayor Michael Pagan, Closter Councilwoman Jannie Chung, and two former state legislators, Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Englewood) and Tim Eustace (D-Maywood).
A former Clinton White House speechwriter, Gottheimer was first elected to Congress when he ousted seven-term Republican Rep. Scott Garrett (R-Wantage) in 2016 despite Donald Trump carrying the district.
See here for a full list of endorsements in New Jersey’s 2025 gubernatorial contest.