David Russo

For the last couple weeks, Passaic County has buzzed with talk of Republican activist Joe Caruso mounting an Assembly primary bid to take down incumbent Scott Rumana (R-Wayne).

Reached for comment today, Caruso downplayed the prospect but did not rule it out entirely.

"Not to bloat my own ego, but I have too many ideas I want to share with the state, and to go into a position in the Assembly, my first question is what can you do to affect change as an assemblyman?," said Caruso, a Passaic County native who heads up the finance wing of the Republican Party in neighboring Bergen County and runs a finance firm.

If Caruso does decide to run, however, he will limit his campaign to targeting Rumana, and not Assemblyman Dave Russo (R-Ridgewood), who he described as a "gentleman."

If Republicans Scott Garrett, Christopher Myers and Leonard Lance win hotly contested House races next week, it is unlikely that Democrats would invest heavily in these traditionally GOP districts again in 2010.  But Democratic victories would make these districts battlegrounds in the 2010 mid-term elections.

If Garrett survives -- Politicker.com's The Pindell Report has the seat as Leans Republican -- he'll have a firm lock on the 5th district seat until at least 2012, when mapmakers draw new congressional districts.  But if blind Rabbi Dennis Shulman upsets Garrett, he'd immediately become one of the nation's most vulnerbale Democratic Congressmen. There is already talk among some Bergen County Republicans that Assemblyman David Russo would enter the race to challenge Shulman in 2010.  Russo sought the seat six years ago when Marge Roukema retired and lost to Garrett 45%-24% after splitting the Bergen GOP vote with State Sen. Gerald Cardinale.

District 40 Assemblyman David Russo argues that Sen. John McCain has the most foreign policy experience.

The Record has endorsed Kevin O'Toole for State Senate, Assemblyman David Russo for re-election to the Assembly, and Scott Rumana for O'Toole's open Assembly seat.  READ

So far, Democrats haven’t seemed anxious to field and financially support a real challenger to Rep. E. Scott Garrett. But amongst Republicans, there’s discontent with Garrett brewing just beneath the surface of the fifth congressional district.

Some complain of Garrett’s steadfast conservative ideological commitment which has led to cast votes against bills considered no-brainers to Democrats and more moderate Republicans. Whether this is a strength or weakness is up for debate, however.

Running off the line, attorney Camille Abate won 40% in the 2006 Democratic congressional primary

At a breakfast hosted by the Democratic State Committee today, congressional candidate Camille Abate mentioned to Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean that she is running for Congress against Scott Garrett.

“He’s the worst,” said Dean.

But despite Dean’s personal opinion, national Democrats apparently don’t think enough of it to pump many resources into a fight against him. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that they have three targets in 2008, and Garrett isn’t one of them.

Democrat Joseph Coniglio was elected to the New Jersey State Senate in 2001, defeating three-term incumbent Louis Kosco after District 38 was redrawn to include Democratic strongholds of Fair Lawn and Fort Lee. Even with Coniglio’s ethical problems, he stands a good chance of getting re-elected in a district where the GOP is no longer competitive.

Take Assemblyman David Russo off the list of potential candidates for Bergen County Republican Chairman: he’s backing attorney Rob Ortiz for the post.   Ortiz, a 35-year-old Ridgewood resident and Giuliani fundraiser, also won the backing of Assemblyman Kevin O’Toole, the Essex County GOP Chairman, and Passaic County GOP Chairman Scott Rumana, the Mayor of Wayne.  O’Toole, Russo and Rumana are the favorites to represent the Bergen-based 40th district in the Legislature next year.

David Russo had little trouble winning renomination to a tenth term in the State Assembly, even though he was dumped from the Bergen County Republican Organization line.   Now some Republicans are suggesting that the Ridgewood attorney become the next Bergen County GOP Chairman. 

The Private Enterprise Political Action Committee endorsed four Republican candidates for next month’s primaries.