Holly Schepisi Will Run for Assembly

River Vale resident and township attorney Holly Schepisi won the chance to run on the Republican ticket for the Assembly position in District 39. She beat out two others in a decisive vote Monday.

County committee members of the Bergen County Republican Organization decided to put Schepisi on the ballot to replace Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk. Vandervalk announced last month that she would not seek reelection in November.

Schepisi garnered 137 votes Monday, while Washington Township Council President Fred Goetz received seven and Michael Cino of Demarest got six. Scott Mooney of Emerson, who also serves as the Washington Township Planning Board attorney, had dropped out prior to the vote.

"I was very honored by the level of support i received. It was an amazing victory," Schepisi said. "Throughout the process there were some really great candidates who had put their hat into the ring."

She also thanked Vandervalk for the opportunity and said the assemblywoman's support had a lot to do with her win.

Schepisi said she is excited to campaign with other District 39 officials.

"I'm really looking forward to campaigning with Sen. [Gerald] Cardinale and Assemblyman [Robert] Schroeder," she said. "We're going to start on the campaign trail pretty much immediately."

According to the Bergen County Board of Elections, five candidates are running for two open Assembly seats in District 39. Schepisi and Schroeder are running as Republicans, Anthony Iannarelli Jr. and Michael J. McCarthy are running as Democrats and Clinton Bosca is running as an Independent.