The big news in Passaic County is Donald Trump’s 6,534-vote win combined with the Democratic candidate for sheriff’s 14,022-vote victory and a lead in a race against the one Republican county commissioner, Nicolino Gallo.
Thomas Adamo will become the new sheriff after defeating Republican Maria Saracino, 54%-46%.
In the race for county commissioner, incumbents Sandi Lazzara (86,832) and John Bartlett (85,732), and newcomer Rodney DeVore (85,592), lead Gallo (83,732) and two other GOP challengers, Assad Mujtaba (81,917) and William Cytowicz (81,482).
Gallo won in 2021 by unseating Democratic Commissioner Assad Akhter.
The sheriff’s office wasn’t expected to be on the ballot until 2025, but that changed earlier this year when five-term Democrat Richard Berdnik died in an apparent suicide.
The Democratic primary was one of the most dramatic this year: former Sheriff Jerry Speziale decided he wanted his old job back, and recruited three county commissioner candidates to run alongside him, turning the race into a battle over the future of the Passaic County Democrats.
The election took on statewide import: Passaic Democratic Chair John Currie, who strongly backed Adamo, is likely to back Rep. Mikie Sherrill for governor next year, while Speziale got some outside help from gubernatorial contender Steve Fulop. It was Currie who ultimately emerged victorious, even without the county line.
In the U.S. Senate race, Democrat Andy Kim carried Passaic County by two percentage points over Republican Curtis Bashaw.