First-time candidate designates apparent Wood Ridge resident as campaign treasurer.
NORTH ARLINGTON – According to reports filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (www.elec.nj.gov), independent mayoral candidate Lillian R Saldanha of 112 Prospect Avenue has organized a single candidate committee and designated Patrick J Baselice of 300 Avalon Drive, Westmont Building 1 in Wood Ridge as her treasurer.
Saldanha filed with the state’s election law enforcement agency on July 12th and Baselice signed on as treasurer on July 6th.
Little is known about the first woman ever to seek the office of Mayor of North Arlington.
Sources tell NA Today that Saldanha is a former resident of Harrison and has political ties to GOP Councilman Dan Pronti, who many expected to run for mayor himself.
Instead of entering the GOP Primary to challenge first-term incumbent Joe Bianchi, Pronti opted not to run at all and is apparently assisting Saldanha at least with signature gathering to qualify for the November ballot. Tensions within the GOP have boiled over in recent weeks where several GOP insiders are calling for Pronti’s ouster all together from the local Republican Party!
Formerly the #2 man with the North Arlington GOP, Pronti was replaced as Council President and By-Law changes by the council majority have given Pronti lowly, back-bencher status.
“Dan Pronti was considered a rising star in the Republican Party right up until he was reelected last November and since then his political status in local GOP circles has rapidly deteriorated. A severe falling out has occurred among his GOP council colleagues as well as his running-mate in last year’s election, Mario Karcic.
“In 2016 Karcic was easily defeated for reelection along with Rich Hughes by Democrats Mark Yampaglia and Jean Williams. He was reelected last year on the strength of Pronti’s strong political coattails. Why Dan Pronti has been isolated and ignored is one the big political mysteries,” said one NA Democrat when asked to comment.
“One thing seems to be clear and that is local Republicans blame Pronti for the candidacy of Lillian Saldanha.”
For the first time in NA history there will be four candidates for the office of mayor appearing on the ballot.