By Susan C. Moeller
Senior Reporter

RUTHERFORD (Nov. 7, 2007) — The people have spoken loud and clear: Out with the Democrats.

Republicans reigned supreme in the borough, taking every seat that was up for grabs. John Hipp will replace Bernadette P. McPherson as mayor, and Hipp’s running mates, Rose Inguanti and John Sasso will join him on the dais, replacing Councilmen Ray Frazier and Richard Reyes.

Photo by JoAnn Merklinghaus Mayoral-elect John Hipp and council-elects Rose Inguanti and John Sasso celebrate their victories after hearing the election results Nov. 6.

Unofficial results put Hipp in first with 3,708 votes; Inguanti and Sasso each logged 3,683. Frazier followed with 1,668 votes, McPherson with 1,632, and Reyes with 1,577.

“I think this is a victory for all of you,” Hipp told his cheering supporters. “We have a lot of work to do.”

“Taxes and EnCap” were the deciding issues, Hipp said. His team plans to start working on the borough’s budget immediately. He thanked the people of Rutherford and promised, “We will not let you down.”

John Daub, Rutherford’s Republican chair, called the victory “historic, if not monumental … Rutherford is again officially a Republican town, top to bottom,” he added.

Across town, the mood was more somber. McPherson said that taxes were the key issue for voters. “There always was a very real difference,” between her team and Hipp’s, McPherson said, adding that the residents had made a “clear choice.”

“Rutherford made a very bad decision tonight,” said Denise Ross, Rutherford’s Democrat municipal chair.

At the county level, Michael Guarino defeated Paul Sarlo in Rutherford, 2,922 to 2,144; Carmine Pio Costa and Don Diorio got more votes for assembly (2,911 to 2,958) than Gary Schaer and Fred Scalera (1937 to 2017 ). For sheriff, Harry Shortway defeated Leo McGuire, 2717 to 2140, and the Republican freeholder candidates Charles Kahwaty (2,954), Robert Yudin (2,896), and Paul Duggan (2,975) swept Jim Carroll (1,901), Tom Padilla (1,881), and Liz Calabrese (1,909).