Ridgewood Councilwoman One of Four Republicans Vying for Freeholder Seats

Four Bergen County Republicans, including one from Ridgewood, have announced their candidacies for the party’s nomination for two open seats on the Bergen County freeholder board, according to NorthJersey.com.

Ridgewood Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh, who announced her intent to run in December, will face Ridgefield lawyer Robery Avery, former North Arlington School Board President Brian Fitzhenry, and Englewood education professor Dierdre Paul for two spots on the party’s nomination, the report said.

The GOP County Convention will meet this March to vote on which two candidates will take on incumbent Democrats David Ganz of Fair Lawn and Joan Voss of Fort Lee in the November election, the report said.

Walsh is a first-term councilwoman in Ridgewood who said in December that she will not be seeking reelection this year, but seeking the county seat instead.

According to the report, Avery is a former Ridgefirld council president, prosecutor, and municipal judge; Fitzhenry is a North Arlington volunteer firefighter and chairman of the borough’s zoning board; Paul is a professor at Montclair State and the author of several books.

Democrats currently hold a 5-2 majority on the board of freeholders.