Cliffside Park, Fairview Mayors Return Unopposed, 3 Others Top Challengers

CLIFFSIDE PARK, N.J. -- Three area mayors overcame challenges, while neighboring Democrat Mayors Thomas Calabrese of Cliffside Park and Vincent Belucci Jr. of Fairview ran unopposed. Calabrese received 2,263 votes and Bellucci 831.Calabrese, a former basketball standout and council president, took over the mayoralty after his father, Gerald Calabrese died in April. The elder Calabrese had been mayor more than 50 years, one of the longest tenures in U.S. history.True to decades of form, Democrats dominated Tuesday's elections in Cliffside Park: Incumbent council members Donna Spoto (2,112 votes) and Bernard Fontana (2,094) topped Republicans Joseph Weiss and Patricia Trovarelli, who had 471 and 447 votes, respectively.

Cliffside Park Mayor Thomas Calabrese
Photo Credit: *Jerry DeMarco*

Donna Spoto
Photo Credit: *Donna Spoto Twitter*

Bogota re-elects officials.
Photo Credit: *Chris Kelemen Facebook*

Michael McPartland
Photo Credit: *Edgewater website*

Ridgefield re-elects members of its Democratic council.
Photo Credit: *Courtesy Ridgefield Democrats*

Melissa Heule

11/04/2015 2:00 a.m.

Democrat Peter Colao ran unopposed for a one-year unexpired council term and got 2,080 votes.

Bogota

BOGOTA, N.J. – Republican Mayor Christopher M. Kelemen defeated Democratic challenger Lisa Kohles.

Kelemen, who is in the real estate business, received 1,103 votes.

Kohles, who is employed by Hackensack University Medical Center, got 670.

There were four vying for two seat on the council. Republicans Daniele Fede and Francisco J. Miranda got 967 and 935 votes. Democrats Robert Robbins and Hector E. Rodriguez finished out of the running with 738 and 704 votes respectively.

Six candidates vied for three open seats on the Bogota Board of Education.

The top vote-getters were Eileen Lewis, with 590, Kathryn C. Van Buren, with 552, and Jo-Ellen Granquist, with 497.Finishing out of the running were Asia Burnett (419 votes), Michael J. Cabana (375) and Michael L. Leong (323).

Edgewater

EDGEWATER, N.J. -- Democratic Mayor Michael McPartland defeated Republican challenger Bartholomew Talamini.

McPartland, who worked for Citigroup’s Global Markets on Wall Street, received 595 votes.

Talamini, a New York area sales manager for a specialty meat company, got 159.

There were four candidates running for two positions on the borough council.

Democrats Dolores Lawlor and Anthony Bartolomeo won with 580 and 573 vote,s respectively. Republicans Jacqueline Magalhaes got 170 votes and Andrew Poye 152 votes.

Duane Fischetti, a Democrat, ran uncontested for an unexpired one-year council term.

Edgewater Board of Education Elections

Cristina Stefani-Rackow (293) and Sandy Klein (286) ran unopposed for two available seats.

Fairview

FAIRVIEW, N.J. – Unopposed Democrat Councilmen Stephen J. Russo and Jhon Gomez were returned to their seats, with 833 and 815 votes, respectively.

There were no open seats on the Fairview Board of Education.

Ridgefield

RIDGEFIELD, N.J. – Democratic Mayor Anthony R. Suarez defeated Republican Warren N. Vincentz.

Suarez, an attorney for Dario, Yacker, Suarez & Albert, received 1,153 votes.

Vincentz, a professional engineer and certified public manager, got 708.

Democrats also took two available council seats: Ray Penabad got 1,075 votes and Dennis Shim 1,074.

They easily topped Republicans John Hroncich, with 717 votes, and Robert Wojtaszczyk, with 680.

Ridgefield Board of Education Elections

Kathy O’Brien-Payerle (701 votes) and Steven Yang (440 votes) ran unopposed for two available Board of Education seats.

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