Only 2 towns have contested primary races

Ogdensburg and Stanhope are the only Sussex County towns that will have contested primary elections June 10, according to an unofficial list of candidates provided by the Sussex County Clerk’s Office.

Four Republicans are running for two seats on the Ogdensburg Borough Council. They are Brenda Cowdrick, Kristopher Gordon, Michael Nardini and Caren Ruitenberg.

Cowdrick and Ruitenberg are incumbents, and Nardini is a former councilman.

Cowdrick and Gordon are running on one slate and Ruitenberg and Nardini on another.

In Stanhope, three Republicans are running for two seats on the Borough Council. They are Scott Wachterhauser, Diana Kuncken and Najib Iftikhar.

Wachterhauser and Kuncken are incumbents. Iftikhar, a former school board member, also ran for a council seat last year.

Democrat Daniel Smith also filed to run for the Borough Council in the Nov. 4 election. He is the only Democrat running for a municipal office in the county this year.

Smith, who has lived in Stanhope for 14 years, said he is running for the council because it’s time for new voices in the borough. ”The same people have been in charge for a very, very long time.”

While Stanhope has empty storefronts and empty houses, nearby towns are building and improving themselves, he said.

“I’m looking toward the future of Stanhope and having it be a great town for people to live in for the next several decades,” said Smith, who has two young children.

He is not surprised to be the only Democrat seeking a municipal office because Sussex County historically is a heavily Republican county.

”You look at the national level and it’s a tough time for Democrats right now.”

He disagrees with the government overreach he sees at the federal level. “I think the role of government is to make a place better.”

Sheriff Michael Strada is unopposed in his bid for re-election.

Democrat Phil Destefano of Branchville is running for a seat on the Sussex County Board of County Commissioners along with Republicans Jill Space, an incumbent, and Frankford Township Mayor Dave Silverthorne. Two seats will be filed in the November election.

Two Democrats, Steve Barratt and Eugene Grinberg, are challenging Republican state Assembly members Dawn Fantasia and Mike Inganamort, who are running for their second terms representing the 24th District.