DiVincenzo has giant fundraising haul after bi-partisan event

Sometimes close personal relationships transcend party lines, and that was on display last night in Cedar Grove, where Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr. had a six-figure fundraising haul after a high-dollar event sponsored by two Republicans: former State Sen. Kevin O’Toole and Thomas Scrivo, who served as chief counsel to Gov. Chris Christie.

This turned out to be an Essex/Bergen event, with Democratic County Chairman Paul Juliano and State Sen. Joseph Lagana on the host committee with O’Toole and Scrivo.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill was front and center, along with Chief of Staff Alex Ball and Chief Counsel Tim Lydon.

Among the attendees were Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, Hudson County Executive and Democratic County Chairman Craig Guy, and Passaic County GOP Chairman Peter Murphy.  The presence of Solomon may be one of the most interesting parts of the evening: the newly-elected Jersey City mayor is forging early friendships with state political leaders who might be in a position to help his city down the road.

The co-hosts included ten Democratic state senators: Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, Renee Burgess (D-Irvington), Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch), John McKeon (D-West Orange), Raj Mukherji (D-Jersey City), Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge), Brian P. Stack (D-Union City), and Britnee Timberlake (D-East Orange).   Phil Alagia, DiVincenzo’s longtime chief of staff and a Democratic powerbroker in his own right, was a co-host; so were Republican fundraiser Ken Meka and Bergen Democratic Vice Chair Balpreet Grewal-Virk.

The bi-partisan event was held at Lunello, which has become the new Lorenzos as the place for high visibility in New Jersey politics.  O’Toole, now the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has helped put Lunello on the map.  The event attracted a high-gravitas attendee list.

DiVincenzo was first elected county executive in 2002 after a bruising primary campaign against Thomas P. Giblin; DiVincenzo faces Republican Maritza Matthews in his bid for a seventh term.