Chris Vergano Wins Wayne Republican Mayoral Nomination

WAYNE, NJ — Chris Vergano is the Republican nominee for mayor.

Vergano defeated Lonni Miller Ryan, the incumbent council president, by running a campaign that attacked her regarding five tax appeal lawsuits she filed against the township during her term as an at-large council member.

Vergano received 2,704 votes to Miller Ryan’s 1,770. Miller Ryan’s loss means she will not be on the council after Jan. 1, 2018. Those numbers include mail-in ballots.

Vergano's runningmates Joseph Schweighardt, the only incumbent councilmember who ran, David Varano and Jill Sasso will appear with him on the November ballot.

Vergano’s victory comes even though Miller Ryan's slate received the endorsement of the Passaic County Republican Party — the Passaic County Regular Republican Organization.

Township Clerk Paul Marigotta said the voting totals do not include machine numbers from Ward 2, District 6, Ward 2, District 3 and Ward 1, District 4:

Here are the voting results, including mail-in votes, for local Republican candidates.

Jill Sasso: 2,475

David Varano: 2,456

Joseph Schweighardt: 2,392

Jim Marroco: 1,609

Matt Rosenthal: 1,597

Kevin Kearney: 1,671

Ryan took several shots at Vergano in campaign literature regarding a plan he helped create four years ago, the last time he ran, that would have rezoned many commercial districts and allowed thousands of low-income housing units to be built. Residents almost universally rejected the plan, which was an attempt at boosting ratables.

Vergano went after Ryan for filing five lawsuits regarding the tax valuation of her home. She filed the lawsuits and voted to hire chief township tax assessor James Kreitz, a move Vergano's campaign said was an "obvious" conflict of interest because Kreitz must testify in court regarding the lawsuits.

Vergano’s campaign claimed Miller Ryan's campaign overspent on election materials and failed to submit required reports with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission.

The sides even went to court over their respective tickets' positions on the primary ballot.

Originally, Miller Ryan's team, which was endorsed by the Passaic County Republican Party, was slated to be on Row A, but they ended up on Row F because Tim Troast, the Pompton Lakes GOP chairman and Cappo and Mambelli's campaign manager, chose Vergano and his slate of candidates to appear together on Row A. A county judge ruled in favor of a complaint Miller Ryan's slate filed and placed the candidates on rows E and F.

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Photo: Lonni Miller Ryan, the Wayne Republican nominee for mayor. — Courtesy of Lonni Miller Ryan/Chris Vergano, the Wayne Republican nominee for mayor. — Courtesy of Chris Vergano