BY LINDA SMITH HANCHARICK
WEST MILFORD — Lou Signorino won the Republican nomination for mayor Tuesday, beating his opponent, Mike Ramaglia, the Regular Republican Organization candidate, after a brutal primary battle that brought out a very low turnout of voters.
Signorino, a two-term councilman, got 173 more votes than his opponent. His running mates, Councilman Mike Hensley and Tim Wagner also won their primary against Councilwoman Vivienne Erk and former Councilman Phil Weisbecker.
Signorino, Hensley and Wagner challenged the Regular Republican Organization on the "Putting West Milford First" ballot line.
West Milford election campaigns have been negative in recent years and this primary was no different. There were reports of stolen and destroyed campaign signs, charges of illegal campaign contributions and outside investors with no interest in West Milford.
Another challengeThis is not Signorino's first challenge against his party. Signorino ran a primary against the Republican party's choice for council two years ago when he did not get the nod from them and came up the winner to keep his seat on the council. He, Hensley and Wagner attempted to be the Regular Republican Organization's candidates earlier this year. Wagner originally put his name in to be considered as the party's mayoral nominee but he lost out to Ramaglia as the county committee voted 14-4 against him.
For Signorino and Hensley, they weren't considered by the committee in January when they went to a meeting with their resumes to be submitted because it was after the deadline, according to Republican Chairman Dan Jurkovic.
New committeeThis year was also the election of the Republican County Committee. It's done every three years for each party. Both the Regular Republican Organization and the Putting West Milford First line had full slates of candidates. The committee members vote on which candidates the party will nominate for their primary.
Putting West Milford First candidates took 20 of the 26 county committee positions. There is one tie in District 6 between Jurkovic and Wagner. The committee gets to decide on the tie, which will surely go to the Wagner.
Looking forward and backFor Signorino, the victory was sweet, but it's back to business. This sitting councilman said there's too much to do in the township to take time and savor the win.
"I'm incredibly grateful and humbled by the trust and confidence the voters of West Milford continue to place in me, but at the end of the day it's not about me but about the town," said Signorino. "There is a lot of work that needs to be done; right now it's back to business for me."
Hensley said he was grateful for the voters turning out and that they heard his team's message.
"I'm just thrilled by the response from the people who looked at the information carefully put out there by the campaign, the platform we ran on," said Hensley the day after the election. "I'm glad that message was received by the voters. We'll try to move forward and put West Milford first."
When asked about the negativity of the campaign, Signorino said "it was never a negative" to him.
"I stayed positive and plan to continue that way," he said. "Anyone who knows me knows I'm positive. I'm about principled leadership."
Hensley said he was happy with the campaign.
"By and large, I was happy I wasn't attacked too much and I didn't attack anyone," he added. "It was a positive experience going door-to-door meeting residents and hearing their concerns."
What's nextSignorino, Hensley and Wagner will face the Democrats in the November general election. Bettina Bieri is looking for a third term as West Milford's mayor. She and her council candidates, former Councilwoman CarlLa Horton and Melissa Brown-Blaeuer, faced no opposition in their primary Tuesday.