Rumana’s elevation to the Superior Court bench in Passaic County created an immediate opening for his Assembly seat, with one year to go in the term. Michael Marotta, the Wayne Republican leader and former Passaic County freeholder who is one of Rumana’s closest allies, wasted no time on Thursday when he announced his interest in filling the vacancy.

“I like helping people,” said Marotta, a longtime supervisor of maintenance with the Passaic Valley Water Commission. “And I believe that my experience as a freeholder helps.”

By law, the Assembly vacancy must be filled within 35 days, or just before Thanksgiving. The 40th District covers portions of the counties of Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Morris, but Bergen and Passaic communities have typically dominated elections.

Filling the vacancy will be up to the county committee representatives in each municipality. Altogether, Passaic and Bergen each have about 130 votes each; there are roughly 30 votes in Morris County and 20 in Essex County.

Marotta’s entry sets the stage for a feud in the 40th District, a Republican stronghold undergoing a political changing of the guard. Sen. Kevin O’Toole, from Cedar Grove, already has announced that he is not seeking reelection, and although he has made no official announcement, longtime Assemblyman David Russo of Ridgewood is not expected to run again, either.

Rumana’s arch nemesis in the Passaic County GOP, Totowa municipal leader Peter Murphy, is backing Wyckoff Mayor Kevin Rooney for the Assembly vacancy. Murphy has ruffled feathers recently not only by backing Rooney, but by attending a dinner at the home of Phil Murphy, the Democratic front runner for governor. Pictures of the dinner recently circulated on Facebook showing Murphy and another Democrat, freeholder Terry Duffy, posing for pictures at Murphy’s house with rocker Jon Bon Jovi.

The political double cross brought a stern rebuke from three of the four GOP chairmen in the 40th District, Paul DiGaetano of Bergen, John Traier of Passaic and John Sette of Morris. They released a letter saying the photos sent “shock waves” through the 40th District and, as a result, they would not support the Murphy slate.

“Republican leaders should be supporting Republican candidates, not Democrats,” Traier said on Monday. DiGaetano said he never supported the Murphy slate in the 40th District, which besides Rooney, includes Kristen Corrado for Senate and former Wyckoff Mayor Christopher DePhillips for the other Assembly seat.

“I did not like that ticket that was put together,” DiGaetano said.

Murphy did not return a phone call or a text message seeking comment on Monday.

By law, the Assembly vacancy is to be filled within 35 days by the county committee within the district. There are five Passaic County municipalities in the 40th District: Little Falls, Pompton Lakes, Totowa, Wayne and Woodland Park. There are seven in Bergen County: Allendale, Franklin Lakes, Ho-Ho-Kus, Midland Park, Ridgewood, Waldwick and Wyckoff. 

Historically, the district’s two Assembly seats have been split between Passaic and Bergen candidates. Traier said he’d like it to remain that way. DiGaetano said he understood the concept, although he wouldn’t flat-out commit to the idea on Monday.

“John Traier’s argument is a strong one,” DiGaetano said. “I’ll be discussing all that with the leadership in Bergen County.”

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