John Renna

May 13, 2008 - 11:00pm

Orechio's defeat ends a 40-year political career

The defeat of Carmen Orechio for re-election to the Nutley Township Commission seat he has held since 1968 is indeed the end of an era in a town where the Orechio family has dominated local politics for nearly fifty years.  A former State Senate President, the 81-year-old Orechio was defeated tonight by Joseph Scarpelli, a former Essex County Freeholder and the son of Peter Scarpelli, who is stepping down as a Commissioner in July.

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April 10, 2007 - 10:38am

Hypothetically, could Sal Vega beat Brian Stack in a general?

The late John Renna would have viewed the lack of filing day activity by the Hudson County Republicans as a lost opportunity.  As the on-and-off Essex County Republican Chairman between 1977 and 1996, Renna had a few wins by watching the Democratic primary from the sidelines and then figuring out his ticket over the summer.  That's what happened in 1986, when Essex County Executive Peter Shapiro's popularity plummeted -- especially among Democrats.  Sensing an opportunity, Renna pulled aging former Assemblyman Carl Orechio off the ticket and replaced him with Nicholas Amato, who had won three terms as Surrogate as a Democrat before Shapiro dumped him from the party line a few months earlier.  For Surrogate, Renna ran another party switcher: Earl Harris, the Newark City Council President.  The result was a GOP landslide.

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