District 38 Legislative Election Preview

By Josh McMahon, NJSpotlight.com

Shifting political winds account for the optimism of the 38th District Republicans who believe they have a realistic chance of taking the Senate seat and possibly both Assembly spots.

Democrats are just as convinced that the GOP takeover is never going to happen.

All of this political positioning paves the way for a real donnybrook this fall in the Bergen County district.

Robert Gordon, who has been in the senate since 2007 and prior to that served four years in the Assembly, heads the Democratic ticket. His running mates are Connie Wagner, a two-term assemblywoman, and Timothy Eustace, the mayor of Maywood.

Both Gordon and Wagner are known names in the district and veteran campaigners. Gordon has been involved in politics in one way or another since the 1970s and so knows what it takes to win.

John Driscoll, chairman of the Bergen County Freeholder Board, leads the Republican slate. He's joined by Richard Goldberg, the mayor of Hawthorne, and Fernando Alonso of Oradell.

The elements that figure into races in other districts are at play in the 38th as well. Gov. Chris Christie's policies will be fodder for both sides, as will be the effects of redistricting. But there's an underlying factor in this race and it's the sense that Bergen County is undergoing a political character change.

For nearly a decade the Democrats controlled the county, but not any more.

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