By Matt Rooney
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Bergen Republicans reportedly have their team for the county’s most historically competitive legislative district.
According to a reliable source with knowledge of LD38 decision-making, Republicans have coalesced around two young guns: Rochelle Park Mayor Mike Kazimir and Paramus Councilman Chris DiPiazza.
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I’m told both men were actively recruited for this year’s Assembly contest.
DiPiazza entered local office in 2018 at age 26 and immediately distinguished himself as a hard-charging taxpayer advocate in the populous Democrat-controlled community.
Kazimir won a landslide victory in 2018 and, like DiPiazza, is considered a next-generation figure for a Bergen County Republican Party that’s been backsliding over the past several years.
The pair’s ticket was announced at a Wednesday night gathering of municipal chairmen.
Republicans will take on incumbents Lisa Swain (D-Fair Lawn) and Chris Tully (D-Bergenfield) this November in a district which has generated very close contests in recent history; in 2013, the Republican high voter-getter fell just 56 votes short of retiring then-Assembly Tim Eustace.
In addition to Paramus and Rochelle Park, LD38 includes the Bergen County towns of Bergenfield, Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Hasbrouck Heights, Lodi, Maywood, New Milford, Oradell, River Edge, and Saddle Brook in addition to the sole Passaic County municipality of Hawthorne.
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