Tedesco Unseats Mitchell as Bergen Freeholder, Dems Take 5-2 Majority

Democratic challenger James Tedesco unseated Republican John Mitchell in the race for Bergen County Freeholder in an surprising last-minute electoral shift, according to unofficial results from the Bergen County Clerk’s office.  

With 100 percent of precincts now reporting, Tedesco’s apparent win means that Democrats will claim a 5-2 majority on the county board.

At around 10:30 p.m. on Election Day it appeared that all three Bergen County Freeholder incumbents up for election—Mitchell and fellow Republicans John Felice and Maura DeNicola—would hold their seats in Hackensack.

But in the eleventh hour, Tedesco, who consistently had been the highest vote-getter among Democratic candidates, jockeyed ahead of Mitchell. 

Mitchell earned 16.93 percent of the vote while Tedesco earned 16.94 percent. A total of 73 votes separated the two men in an unofficial tally late on Tuesday.

At the bottom of the six-pol race, Dems P. Christopher Tully held 16.35 percent and Lorraine Waldes earned 15.79 percent of Bergen County votes.

Official results are expected early next week.