September 25, 2007 - 8:10am
News

Why did Tedesco lose the Senate seat?

The number one person on the list of people Bob Gordon should thank for his nomination as the Democratic candidate for State Senator in the 38th district: attorney Dennis Oury.  Sources say that Oury's close relationship with Paramus Mayor James Tedesco was the top reason Democrats went with Gordon.  Oury has taken considerable heat this month for his election season comments about a lawsuit he was filing to overturn state pay to play regulations.

Wally Edge can be reached via email at politicsnj@aol.com.

Comments

I think...


Name recognition as well. Outside of Paramus, Tedesco was an unknown, a race between him and Colletti was going to be close without Ferriero spending over $1M. Gordon has a base in a bigger town (Fair Lawn) and has run twice district-wide and won, including in heavily Italian communities along Route 46. It just made more sense. Besides, I don't think being friends with Dennis Oury would have mattered to most ppl, since he is about as much of a behind-the-scenes insider as you can get.

09/25/07 12:06 pm

Oury was his problem


Dennis Oury has the political sensibilities of blind man in a room with no light. Bungling along making ridiculous comments to the press at the wrong time while being a virutal poster boy for pay to play reform, the fact Oury was the borough attorney in Paramus made it impossible for Tedesco to move forward because of the Oury baggage. This is exactly what got him tossed from power in North Bergen when Nick Sacco sent him packing about 20 years ago. Ferriero would be wise to cut this political liability loose as soon as possible.

09/25/07 3:30 pm