Rosie Pino defeated Tiffany Glenn Burress in tonight’s Bergen County GOP convention, winning the party organization slogan to take on Rep. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) in New Jersey’s 9th district.
Pino’s 91-68 victory came despite a narrow recommendation by the Bergen County Republican Policy Committee that the party support Burress for the nomination. Buress won that vote, 21-18.
In the U.S. Senate race, Bergen County Republicans voted overwhelmingly to endorse former News 12 reporter Alex Zdan for the chance to take on Democrat Cory Booker. Zdan defeated former Tabernacle Deputy Mayor Justin Michael Murphy, 246-65, with 18 votes cast for Natalie Rivera.
Favorite son Robert Lebovics, an Englewood physician who is expected to formally join the race this week, was not on the ballot. He had not made a final decision to run before Bergen County’s January filing deadline. Richard Tabor, a New Jersey state trooper, did not participate in Bergen.
In the 5th district, Sean Kirrane defeated Chandiha (Sandy) Gajapathy, 155-26, to run against five-term Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly).
Pino is a Clifton councilwoman, and Burress is an attorney and the wife of former Giants star Plaxico Burress. Passaic and Hudson County Republicans have endorsed Burress.
The policy committee had recommended Zdan and Kirrane.
Renee Sisca, an aide to State Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-River Vale), was elected to fill a vacancy as the Republican State Committeewoman. She’s replacing Darlene Shotmeyer, who resigned six months into her fourth four-year term.