LD27 Flashpoint: The Final Pick for that Assembly Seat is In

The Democrats have chosen a candidate for the second assembly seat, presumably ending – at least for now – a week-long kerfuffle, which could come back to bite the party in 2025.

It’s done.

Finished.

Rosaura Bogalie of Livingston.

According to multiple sources.

From TAPInto:

“Meet Dr. Rosaura ‘Rosy’ Bagolie, one of seven candidates vying for three open seats on the Livingston Township Council in the November 2022 general election.

“Bagolie is a 14-year resident of Livingston with three children currently attending Livingston Public Schools: Frank a Livingston High School sophomore and standout goalie on the lacrosse team; Jacob, an eighth grader at Heritage Middle School who enjoys football, will appear as an actor in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and is an avid volunteer at Temple B’nai Jeshurun; and Aaron, who is Jacob’s twin as well as a comedian, a master with 3D printers and a Minecraft game builder.

“Bagolie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Seton Hall University; a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Seton Hall University; a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership, Management and Policy from Seton Hall University; Applied Behavior Analysis BCBA Certification Program from the University of West Florida; and a Master of Education degree as a Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant from Rutgers University.”

She will have the backing of the chairs of the Passaic and Essex Democratic committees, ending a week of intrigue, heartbreak and chaos.

The madcap scramble occurred following the announced retirement of 50-year legislative veteran Senator Dick Codey.

As InsiderNJ reported earlier, Assemblyman John McKeon will also have the backing of the joint Democratic Committee.

Earlier this week, the committee signaled that it would support swapping out Alixon Collazos Gill and replacing her with her husband Brendan Gill.

So there it is:

McKeon

Gill (Brendan)

Bogalie

It was fluid all week, with Gill at one point leaving open the possibility of a senate run.

Democrats got scared, sensing intensified war drums.

Gill’s critics groaned about the Gills playing cynical musical chairs with the assembly seat.

But it’s a Democratic district, and Gill’s allies trusted that they wouldn’t suffer any off-the-line backlash, or that anyone would even remember next time.

The Gills’ decision to run Brendan instead of Alixon out of the household short-circuited the plan for a man from Livingston, and made a woman (from Livingston, because they pointed to a promise of Livingston served on the organization ticket) probably inevitable.

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