Passaic Dems pick Imhof for County Clerk

Passaic County Democrats stuck with their three incumbent freeholders this morning and nominated Danielle Ireland Imhof as their candidate for county clerk.

Freeholders Sandi Lazzara, Assad Akhter and John Bartlett easily pushed back challenges from Paterson Deputy Mayor Derya Taskin and Prospect Park school board member Emma Anderson in a vote of the screening committee.  Sources say that Democratic County Chairman John Currie praised Taskin, suggesting that she has a future in county politics.

There was some talk this week of replacing Bartlett, who angered some party officials by jumping into the race for Rodney Frelinghuysen’s congressional seat.  He dropped out in December and is now expected to endorse Mikie Sherrill for the nomination.

Imhof is expected to face Republican Ronald Fava, a former assemblyman and Passaic County prosecutor.  The incumbent is acting County Clerk Walter Davison, who took over last year when Kristin Corrado (R-Totowa) was elected to the State Senate.  The 76-year-old Davison is not seeking the post.

Fava last held office in 2001, when he was the acting Passaic County Sheriff and lost narrowly to Democrat Jerry Speziale.  He was 26 when he defeated Assemblyman William Hicks (D-Paterson) in 1975, but lost his seat two years later to Democrat John Girgenti.

Imhof is the Prospect Park business administrator and the wife of Louis Imhof, the clerk of the Passaic County Board of Freeholders.