Bill Thomson

The average age of the county committeemen and women who cast votes at the election for Bergen County Republican Organization Chairman was probably somewhere north of 60. But in the end, youth triumphed.

Thirty-five-year-old Robert Ortiz, an attorney, prominent Republican fundraiser and relative newcomer to the local political scene, won with 263 votes. Long time party activist Ben Focarino, 64 garnered 171 votes, while former New Jersey Christian Coalition Director Bill Thomson, 57, got 24.

Attorney Rob Ortiz was elected Bergen County Republican Chairman tonight, easily defeating two opponents to succeed Guy Talarico at the helm of a struggling party organization.

Ortiz won  263 votes, to 171 for Bergenfield GOP Chairman Ben Focarino and 24 for former New Jersey Christian Coalition President Bill Thomson.

Think the Bergen County Republican Organization is weak? That may be what they want you to believe.

“Think of the movie Braveheart. Let them think that we’re down,” said Freeholder candidate Paul Duggan at last night’s “meet and greet” for the three candidates for BCRO Chairman.

In truth, Duggan said, the Bergen County Republican Party has seen better days, but he was confident that after electing its new Chairman, the bad old days could soon be over.

Cooperation was the overarching theme of last night’s event, which was held at a senior center in front of a posh strip mall in Woodcliff Lake. So much so that Senator Gerald Cardinale, who attended the event along with Assemblyman John Rooney and Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, went as far as to suggest having all three candidates serve as joint chairs for the remainder of the unexpired term left vacant by Guy Talarico.

It's hard to tell whether Rob Ortiz really is the favorite contender for Bergen County GOP Chairman.

Among the 75 of supporters named on Ortiz’s website are some pretty powerful local Republicans like state Senate nominee Kevin O’Toole, Assemblyman David Russo, Assembly nominee Scott Rumana and former Bergen County Executive Pat Schuber.

But Ortiz’s two opponents for the volunteer post, Bill Thomson and Ben Focarino, won’t divulge who’s supporting their campaigns.

Bergen County Republicans will meet on Monday, July 23 to elect a new County Chairman to succeed Guy Talarico, who resigned the day after the June GOP primary.  Attorney Rob Ortiz, Bergenfield GOP Chairman Ben Focarino, and former New Jersey Christian Coalition President Bill Thomson are competing for the post.

With the election tentatively set for July 24th, Robert Ortiz, a 35-year-old lawyer from Ridgewood and a Republican fundraiser, is facing longtime Bergen County Republicans Ben Focarino, 64, and Bill Thompson, 57.

All three candidates to be the county’s new Republican Chairman agree on one fundamental issue: the party is in a rut, with nowhere to go but up. But just who can bring the party farther up is where they disagree – whether the party needs an insider who has proved his loyalty over the years, or a young, relative newcomer who can infuse new blood into a desperate party.

Robert OrtizRobert Ortiz has officially entered the race for Bergen County GOP Chairman.

Ortiz, a lawyer from Ridgewood, has built up a reputation as a successful Republican fundraiser. And at the age of 35, Republicans are hoping that a young leader with fresh ideas can revive Bergen County party.

“I think at this point we are at the bottom of the barrel, and what I’m trying to do is show that we’re going to have a different face for the party now and we’re going to start fresh – new ideas, new ways of doing things,” said Ortiz. “I want to put a good team together of leaders all across the county.”

Edward Trawinski and Bill Thomson, part of opposing factions in the 2006 Bergen County Republican primary, are leading a grassroots effort to remove Guy Talarico as Bergen County GOP Chairman.  Their committee, "Anybody but Guy" are circulating petitions seeking Talarico's ouster, an full accounting of BCRO finances, and an open convention process to pick candidates in all districts. 

Bill Thomson, the former Chairman of the New Jersey Christian Coalition, is actively seeking support for a possible challenge to Bergen County Republican Chairman Guy Talarico in June. Thomson was the Campaign Manager of Robert Schroeder's campaign for the GOP gubernatorial nomination last year. Talarico, a former Assemblyman, has been facing considerable criticism for his leadership of the Bergen GOP, which has suffered considerable losses in recent years. Douglas Forrester, the GOP gubernatorial candidate in 2005, lost Bergen County by more than 34,000 votes and Republican Freeholder candidates lost by more than 20,000 votes. In 2004, Republican Sheriff Joel Trella was defeated for re-election by nearly 40,000 votes.

Other possible challengers to Talarico include: Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, GOP operative Kevin Collins, and Oakland Councilman Mathew Kazmierczak.