Don Diorio

Four Democratic Assembly seats not expected to be in play turned out to be especially close, including Linda Stender, who won re-election by about the same number of votes Mike Ferguson did in his congressional race against her last year.

Stender defeated Republican Robert Gatto, who spent about $100 and mounted no real campaign, by just 3,327 votes in the 22nd district.  Her running mate, Gerald Green, defeated Bryan Des Roschers by just 3,260 votes.  Gatto and Des Roschers have both lost bids for municipal office.

In the 36th district, Freshman Democratic Assemblyman Gary Schaer, the Passaic City Council President, won by just 2,370 votes over Republican Don Diorio and by only 2,474 votes over Republican Carmen Pio Costa. Democratic Assemblyman Frederick Scalera ran 886 votes ahead of Schaer. 

Three Republicans put out press releases this morning attacking their Democratic opponents.

In district one, Republican Assemblyman/State Senate candidate Nicholas Asselta questioned his Democratic opponent, Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, over his former support for a bill that would have benefited U.S. Vision, a company that was purchased in a partnership between South Jersey political boss George Norcross and Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts, a Van Drew financer.

Orchestrated Political Cover-up Alleged

Call For U.S. Attorney To Step In

It's time the people of Passaic got "honest government."

Carmen Pio Costa and Don Diorio, candidates for Assembly in the 36th district, reacted to today's arrests by drawing attention to the source of the bribe-takers' temptations: their control over massive amounts of state income-tax money given to a handful of cities and urban school districts. 

There’s a new Assembly candidate in district 36.

Don Diorio, a businessman from Carlstadt, has joined state Senate candidate Mike Guarino and Assembly candidate Carmen Pio Costa on the district’s Republican ticket. They’ll take on three incumbent Democrats: state Senator Paul Sarlo, Assemblyman Gary Schaer and Assemblyman Frederick Scalera.