Hopatcong's GOP Primary a 2-on-2

The Republican primary for Hopatcong's open council seats will be a two-on-two.

Councilwoman Marie Galate and Councilman Richard Bunce each said they would support one another in the June 5 election, despite a paperwork mixup that kept them off the same ticket. The two will defend their seats against Republican newcomers Thomas Forbes and Mariano Gianni.

The incumbents had registered before last Monday's deadline under similar slogans—"Helping Hopatcong Move Forward" for Bunce; "Keeping Hopatcong Moving Forward" for Galate.

Forbes and Gianni, however, are running under the "Keep Hopatcong Honest" banner.

Bunce and Galate have been on the borough council since Galate's 2007 election. Bunce was elected in 2003.

Running together was a natural fit, Bunce said.

"We're just finishing the work we started," Bunce said. "We brought the town through one of the worst economic times that we've experienced."
Galate agreed.

"We have many things that we've been working on to get into the community and to get the community involved," she said. "It's not something you can do and just say, 'I'm going to do this for two or three years and just get done.'"

Bunce and Galate each declined to comment on their opposition. Gianni said the meaning of his slogan was plain.

"We're saying we're going to keep Hopatcong honest," he said. "We don't feel that the council is working for all the people in town."

Gianni also said he figured the Galate and Bunce would work together.

"That's what we expected," he said.

While Galate and Bunce each said they made their decision to vie for re-election months ago, the campaign of Gianni and Forbes was born in March, Forbes said.

The pair made the choice after a during which laws appointing two councilmen to the board of health and creating a health advisory committee were introduced.

Gianni (president) and Forbes (vice president) are members of the board of health, which against the council for creating a law that it deems violated state legislation regarding the board's power to direct health department employees.

The lawsuit, which seeks to reverse the new law, is still pending.