Passaic County Democrats name their candidate for sheriff
Passaic County Democratic Committee leaders have selected Thomas Adamo, a chief in the county Sheriff's Office, as their candidate to oppose former Sheriff Jerry Speziale in June's primary election.
Adamo, a 28-year law enforcement veteran, worked under former Sheriff Richard Berdnik, who died in January. Adamo faced competition from five other candidates seeking the endorsement of the Passaic County Democratic organization and Chairman John Currie. Currie said he is confident in Adamo's leadership abilities.
"Chief Adamo embodies the integrity, leadership and dedication to public service that defines the Passaic County Democratic Committee," Currie said. "As our nominee for sheriff, he brings decades of experience and a proven track record of excellence in law enforcement."
A Paterson native whose father, Michael Adamo, served as a three-term Republican freeholder, Adamo started his career with the Sheriff's Office in 1995 as a corrections officer. After two years, he went to the Passaic County Police Academy, and he later became a detective for the Sheriff's Office.
He currently works as chief of its Law Enforcement Division. In a statement, Adamo pledged to prioritize "transparency, fiscal responsibility, and accountability while fostering trust between law enforcement and the community."
Speziale served as Adamo's boss from 2002 to 2010 before taking a significant role at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in a move that Democratic leaders said was designed to destabilize the party. Currently the Paterson police director, Speziale announced his primary campaign in February, independently from the Passaic County Democratic Committee. His attempt to retake the Sheriff's Office has been sharply criticized by Currie.
“Jerry Speziale’s track record of political opportunism and betrayal is well-documented," Currie said. "He has displayed a blatant disregard for our party’s principles and the democratic process itself. We cannot allow his divisive agenda to gain traction in Passaic County."
In response, Speziale's campaign spokesperson, Sofia Quintanar, highlighted Speziale's extensive history of supporting Democrats in Passaic County over the past three decades, drawing a contrast with Adamo's prior Republican affiliation and voter registration status.
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Other candidates considered by the Passaic County Democratic Committee for endorsement were former Paterson Public Safety Director Glenn Brown; Paul Cell, chief of the Montclair State University Police Department, who has 42 years of law enforcement expertise; Mike Kassai, a former Elmwood Park police captain; Mason Maher, a Paterson police lieutenant who challenged Berdnik as a Republican in 2022; and Thomas Marinaro, a former Bloomingdale councilman and Democratic municipal chairman known for his leadership in Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence.
The county's Republican organization has yet to reveal an endorsement for the next county sheriff.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Passaic County NJ Democrats name candidate for sheriff
