Some primary day drama in Morristown, after all: Republican write-in to vie for Feldman’s First Ward council seat

What started as a ho-hum Tuesday of uncontested primaries in Morristown ended with some surprises.

First, Council President Rebecca Feldman, an Independent, revealed that she won’t seek a third term in November.

Then, one of her neighbors in the First Ward, Republican Robert Iannaccone,  got enough write-in votes — 15 of them — to qualify for a ballot position in the general election against Democrat Chris Russo, who ran unopposed in Tuesday’s primary.

“This is a pleasant surprise. It all came together at the last minute,” said town Republican Chairman Frank Vitolo, who suddenly has a three-person ticket that he suspects might gain attention and, possibly, funding, from the GOP faithful in Morris County.

Iannaccone could not be reached for comment on Tuesday night. The write-in campaign fired up over the weekend, after Feldman put out feelers indicating she would bow out if a credible Independent or Republican candidate came forward in her ward, Vitolo said.

Alison Deeb, the council’s lone Republican, is running for re-election in the Fourth Ward. The Rev. Sidney Williams Jr., pastor of the Bethel AME Church, will try for a GOP win in the heavily Democratic Second Ward.

Iannacone, a lawyer who has lived in Morristown for 35 years, actually garnered more votes as a write-in than Williams got in voting booths on Tuesday, according to the unofficial count from the Morris County Clerk’s Office. Vitolo described Iannaccone as a fiscal conservative who will help the Democratic administration continue delivering zero-increase budgets, while advocating for more youth programs in town.

“We’ve got one of the strongest slates of Republican candidates we’ve had in many, many years… a great, diverse ticket, from all walks of life,” Vitolo said.

Morristown Democratic Chairperson Mary Dougherty predicted a “positive-run” election season for both parties.  “The candidates will run their races, and residents will make their choices,” she said.

Mayor Tim Dougherty is not waving any white flags, either.

“I don’t know Mr. Iannacone. I’m a Democrat. I will support our Democrats. I will work hard for our Democrats,” said the Mayor, who is married to the chairperson.

‘IT ALL COMES DOWN TO COMMUNITY’

Mayor Doughterty said Russo already is meeting voters in the First Ward. Another new campaigner, Hiliari Davis Oyesanya, was Tuesday’s top voter-getter among council contenders, with more than 100 votes in the Second Ward despite a rainy, uncontested primary where turnout was light.

That number is more than 10 times as many votes as Williams polled in the Republican primary, according to the county’s unofficial count.  Councilman Stefan Armington remains unopposed in the Third Ward. The Mayor has high hopes in the Fourth Ward for Justin Davis, whose political savvy has been shaped by his job as deputy chief of staff for state Sen. Richard Codey (D-27th Dist.).

“In local elections, it all comes down to community,” said the Mayor, a former councilman now in his second term.  “Your roads, your garbage, your plowing, doing the right thing for the people.”

A native of Hanover’s Cedar Knolls section, Iannaccone moved to Morristown in 1980.  He is a senior vice president for Barnabas Health in West Orange, with a law degree from Seton Hall University, a masters in business administration from Rutgers-Newark, and an undergraduate degree from Loyola College of Maryland.

Iannaccone also is former president of the Children’s Center for Therapy and Learning, and he has served on numerous boards, associations and task forces for the New Jersey Hospital Association and the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services.

He was a subcommittee member of the New Jersey Governor’s Commission on Rationalizing Health Care Resources in 2007, and today he is active in the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Health Lawyers Association.

Locally, Iannaccone is a former board member and coach of the Morristown Junior Colonial Lacrosse Club. He also chaired Morristown Boy Scout Troop 34.

Feldman, who plans to pursue “bigger challenges” in government or business, supports Iannaccone’s bid to succeed her on the council.

“He’s a longtime resident of the First Ward with great professional skills, and a deep appreciation of all that makes Morristown great,” Feldman said.

Chris Russo, Iannaccone’s Democratic opponent, works in pharmaceutical sales and is co-founder of Superhero Events, which stages road races in Greater Morristown. The Gettysburg College graduate also is a former model  and actor whose screen credits include the TV soap opera All My Children. A few years ago, Russo made headlines with a hoax poking fun at UFO believers.

Mayor Dougherty and Vitolo each acknowledged that Feldman would have been hard to unseat in November.

“I think she asked terrific questions and got very involved in planning issues in town,” Vitolo said of the council president. “I think she served her constituents well, and I’m sure the town is going to miss her.”