Primary Election: No Local Race for Nominations, Congressional Race Will Get Voters Out

Although there is no contest on either Republican or Democrat ticket in this year’s local primary election, the three candidates running for council seats will soon learn which, if any, Independent candidates may enter the race as the deadline to file for the November council election is 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Republican councilmen Russell Lipari, a semi-retired engineer, and John Dingertopadre, a client advisor at an auto dealership in Paramus, will seek re-election to second terms this November.

Chris Semenecz, a former councilman and longtime member of the volunteer fire department, will run for council on the Democratic ticket.

The race for the GOP Presidential nomination may attract some of the 2,516 registered Republicans in Hasbrouck to the polls for this primary election, as well as the contested race for US Senator among several candidates are running for a chance to challenge Democrat Senator Robert Menendez in November.

Although this borough is predominantly Republican, what may bring the 1,621 registered Democrats to the polls on June 5 is the hotly contested race between Congressmen Steve Rothman and Bill Pascrell who are fighting for the District 9 nomination.

As NJ Spotlight has reported, the one-time friends are facing each other in a race that has been referred to as one of the five nastiest races in America. 

New Jersey lost one Congressional seat as a result of the 2010 Census and now either Pascrell, who has been representing the 8th District, or Rothman, who represents the 9th, will be edged out. When Fair Lawn, Rothman’s hometown, was moved out of the 9th district as a result of redistricting, he moved back to Englewood where he was once mayor, to face off against Pascrell.

Shmuley Boteach, a rabbi who wrote a book called “Kosher Sex.” seeks the Republican nomination to run for the Congressional seat in the 9th District.

See the full guide to the Dist. 9 Congressional election here.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Alana Quartuccio at alana.quartuccio@patch.com, or follow Hasbrouck Heights Patch on Facebook or Twitter. For news straight to your inbox sign up for the daily newsletter.