June’s bloody battle for control of the Bergen County Republican Organization (BCRO) is finished but not over, Save Jerseyans.
At least not for the former chairman.
After Tuesday night’s sweep by Democrats of county offices and key local races, Bob Yudin — who spent much of his last year as chairman battling Republicans discontented with the BCRO’s direction — sent the following blast e-mail to a number of Bergen County politicos from the e-mail address “rescuetherepublicanparty@
Check it out:
Congressman Scott Garrett has refused to concede citing outstanding ballots despite the AP and other outlets having called the race for his opponent.
Who’s to really blame?
Observers say this cycle presented a far more complicated challenge than detractors insist.
Chairman Yudin’s successor, current Chairman Paul DiGaetano, took the reins six months after the Bergen County GOP lost a freeholder (retirement), state senator (also retirement) AND a sheriff (Democrat defection) in one week. Felice specifically cited Yudin as a reason for his decision to forgo another term. The traitorous Sheriff, Mike Saudino, has said as much, too, to more than one Save Jersey source close to both sides of the divide.
DiGaetano’s defenders says they’ve been upfront from the beginning about the need for a multi-cycle approach to rebuilding the hobbled opposition party in New Jersey’s most populous county, and they cite improved fundraising as reason for optimism.
Demographics may nevertheless prove to be destiny with a sea change.
Once a Republican stronghold and a treasure trove of voters in statewide GOP campaigns, Bergen County voted for Hillary Clinton by 12-points on Tuesday night despite what some hoped would be the Trump campaign’s natural connection with working class voters heavily concentrated in Southern Bergen County. For perspective? George Bush lost Bergen County by just 4.5-points in 2014. An increasingly diverse, liberal county may prove challenging for Republicans in coming cycles as Donald Trump’s somewhat improved performance with minority voters over 2012 didn’t translate to much success in New Jersey.
The only point on which all Bergen Republicans can agree: New Jersey Republicans can’t win state-wide until Bergen Republicans are winning county-wide.
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