Two more Republicans have entered the race for a vacant seat on the Morris County Board of Freeholders, bringing the current field to six candidates who will face off at a February 1 special election convention.
Former two-term Madison Councilman Rob Catalanello and Thomas J. DeLorenzo, a GOP county committeeman from Parsippany, have now entered the race for the seat of Heather Darling. She resigned early this month to become the Morris County Surrogate.
Chatham Township Mayor Tayfun Selen, Pequannock Councilwoman Melissa Florance-Lynch, former Morristown Councilwoman Alison Deeb, and former Pompton Lakes Councilman Christian Barranco are in the race to succeed Darling.
Catalanello challenged Democratic mayor Robert Conley in 2019 and received 39% of the vote.
DeLorenzo is a political ally of Parsippany Republican Municipal Chairman Louis Valori and is viewed as a replacement candidate for former freeholder John Cesaro.
Cesaro had been actively seeking Darling’s seat, but appears to have dropped his interest after Attorney General Gurbir Grewal charged him last month with accepting a bribe from a cooperating witness, attorney Matthew O’Donnell.
Christian Barranco backed Obama for President and his special-interest IBEW 102 PAC gives huge contributions to Democrats to defeat Republicans, including these contributions to Democrats in just recent months:
Democrats Herbig, Kaminski, Hernandez $8,200, trying to defeat Parsippany Republican Council candidates
Democratic State Committee $20,000
NJ Senate Democratic Majority $25,000
Democratic Assembly Campaign $15,000
EFO Craig Coughlin $8,200, Democrat Speaker of the Assembly
Passaic County Democratic Committee $2,300
Fortgang for Assembly $8,200, to defeat Republicans DeCroce and Webber
Barranco’s IBEW 102 funded Democrats to defeat Morris County Republicans.