Bergen County Republicans haven’t won a countywide election since 2013, and since you can’t beat someone with nobody, their losing streak appears set to continue in 2026.
The county GOP filing deadline of February 1 came and went without any Republicans stepping forward to run for County Executive, County Clerk and Surrogate.
The organization doesn’t seem worried, telling Republican county committee members that candidates “will be announced in the short term.”
Two Republicans have stepped up to run for county commissioner: John Dinice, a Mahwah school board member who lost by nearly 50,000 votes last year; and Maria “Soledad” Laman, an Edgewater school board member.
Renee Sisca, an aide to State Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-River Vale), is seeking the open Republican State Committeewoman. She’s seeking to replace Darlene Shotmeyer, who resigned six months into her fourth four-year term. This vote is by the full county committee; there is no special election on the ballot.
Two Democratic incumbents, County Executive James Tedesco and County Clerk John Hogan, are seeking re-election. Surrogate Michael Dressler died last year, and Democrats are in the process of picking a replacement. Right now, the leading candidate appears to be former Oakland Mayor Linda Schwager.
In the 2025 gubernatorial election, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won Bergen County by 37,779 votes against Republican Jack Ciattarelli, 55%-44%.