Like Bergen County, Fair Lawn Leans Republican in 2010 Elections

Fair Lawn's Borough Council has a split of three Democrats and two Republicans, but in a year when those council seats weren't up for election, there was no split among local voters in Tuesday's county races.

Republicans swept the races for , , and the , and the winning candidates all won the borough Fair Lawn as well.

Republican Fair Lawn Councilmembers Ed Trawinski and Jeanne Baratta were both at the Bergen County Republican Organization's Hacksensack headquarters for the Republicans' Tuesday night victory party. Baratta spearheaded the public relations efforts for Kathleen Donovan's winning county executive campaign.

"It's a good day to be a Republican in Bergen County," Baratta said. "We've all worked very hard on Kathe Donovan's campaign, she was the right choice for county executive."

It was undoubtedly a big night for Republicans, but Trawinski called it "a bigger night for the people of Bergen County."

"People of county, just like the people of the nation, have said 'No, we're tired of spending, we're tired of borrowing, and we're tired of taxes,' and tonight is the beginning of the end of that and the start of a new era," Trawinski said.

A total of 8,683 votes were cast in Fair Lawn on Tuesday among the borough's 20,864 registered voters, according to the municipal clerk's office. Not including absentee and provisional ballots, Donovan totaled 4,525 votes in Fair Lawn to Democratic incumbent Dennis McNerney's 4,274. In the race for county sheriff, Republican challenger Michael Saudino tallied 4,389 votes to Leo McGuire's 4,259.

In the freeholder races, John Felice received 4,424 Fair Lawn votes, John Mitchell had 4,276, and Maura DeNicola tallied 4,181 to top all three Democrats. Among the freeholder incumbents, John Hogan received 4,081 votes, Elizabeth Calabrese totaled 4,078, and James Carroll had 3,994.

The only Democrat who won Fair Lawn last night was U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman, who in a race that pitted two Fair Lawn residents against each other. Rothman, who won his eighth term representing New Jersey's 9th Congressional District, received 4,872 votes in Fair Lawn to Agosta's 3,774.

"It looks like, from looking at the numbers, that everybody was looking for a change–a change in the county government–from the sweep that took place in Bergen County," Baratta said.

"We hope to move the county in a positive direction towards new governemnt, honest government, for the people, by the people," she said.