In the Democratic primary for two Rutherford Borough Council seats, off-the-line challengers Susan Quatrone and Christine Del Rey-Cone defeated incumbent Councilmen Thomas Mullahey and Matthew Ackermann. Quatrone and Del Rey-Cone have so far received 557 and 538 votes, respectively, while their opponents have each gotten exactly 417.
The victors will now face Republicans Mark O’Connor and David LaBruno in the general election for the competitive South Bergen municipality.
Quatrone is a former aide to Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson); she and Del Rey-Cone are both attorneys. Ackermann is a former New Jersey Law Journal reporter.
Council President Mark Goldsack, a Democrat, is not seeking re-election.
Gov. Phil Murphy broke the Curse of the Murph in November 2019 when he made a pre- Election Day stop at the Rutherford train station in support of successful mayoral candidate Frank Nunziato.
In the June primary, Murphy had endorsed Stephanie McGowan for the Democratic mayoral nomination in a contested primary with Councilman Frank Nunziato.
McGowan had been an early Murphy for Governor supporter. The governor appeared at a McGowan fundraiser in April.
On the Monday before the June primary, Murphy was at the Rutherford train station seeking votes on behalf of McGowan.
McGowan lost the primary, with Nunziato defeating her by a 52%-48% margin.
Republican Jack Ciattarelli carried Rutherford by 629 votes last year, a margin of ten percentage points.
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