Passaic County Democrats appear to have settled on Haledon Councilwoman Aleksandra Tasic to run for county commissioner after a screening committee meeting today, making her the overwhelming favorite to win a special convention to become the party’s nominee next month.
Tasic is seeking the unexpired term of John Bartlett, who resigned last month to become the general counsel of the Gateway Development Corporation.
Democratic leaders picked Tasic, an attorney, over three other contenders: former Paterson Deputy Mayor Daria Taskin, who ran against the organization on a slate headed by Jerry Speziale in 2024; former Wayne council candidate Corey McKinney; and former Paterson school board member Dania Martinez. Two other potential candidates, former Deputy County Administrator Mark Seemon and Little Falls Councilwoman Christine Hablitz, did not file to run in advance of this week’s deadline.Aleksandra Tasic, John Bartlett, Daria Taskin, Jerry Speziale, Corey McKinney, Dania Martinez, Mark Seemon, Christine Hablitz, Nick Veliky, Bruce James, Marko Kopec, Orlando Cruz, Ed Leonard, Daiel Sagan,
The actual vote of the full Democratic county committee is on August 5.
Late last month, Passaic Democrats picked Nick Veliky to fill Bartlett’s seat on an interim basis. Veliky won the June 2 Democratic primary for county commissioner and is running for a full two-year term to replace Bruce James, who declined to seek re-election.
The winner of that election will be sworn in after the results are certified; that means Veliky will leave the Board of County Commissioners in November and will not take office until January, if he defeats his Republican opponent this year.
Republicans picked Marko Kopec as their candidate for the thirteen-month unexpired term; he will face the winner of the August 5 convention – now likely Tasic.
Veliky and incumbent Orlando Cruz are facing Wanaque Councilman Ed Leonard and Rodriguez, a former law enforcement official and a career New Jersey Transit locomotive engineer, in the general election. Leonard replaced the winner of the GOP primary, Daiel Sagan, who withdrew from the race.
Democrats have a 7-0 majority on the Board of County Commissioners. Republicans won three seats in 2009, lost them in 2012, regained one in 2021, and lost that seat in 2024.
