Essex County is not exactly Republican terrain.

The numbers tell the story – Democrats outnumber Republicans on the registration rolls by a whopping 297,000 to 59,000.

Nonetheless, there’s a lot to be said about having a real two-party system.  One-party rule – regardless of affiliation – tends to discourage the type of debate that is essential to a true democracy.

With that in mind, the Essex County NJ Republican Women have reorganized under new leadership – President Tammy J. Rossi of Nutley.

Rossi says that the organization is “dedicated to developing Republican women, whether they want to run for office or just want to become more politically active in the town they reside in. We provide training for potential candidates and welcome men to the club as associate members. Every member has access to our education programs, which offer a broad scope on governmental processes, our monthly networking/social events, and membership programs year-round.”

Upcoming is a Lincoln Day Luncheon this coming Sunday, Feb. 26, at Mamma Vittoria restaurant in Nutley.

Rossi has big plans for the event, which runs from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

As stated on its website, “Our event offers you the opportunity to meet fellow patriots across New Jersey, learn about our American history, be dazzled with musical entertainment and clever skits, and learn more about what is happening in N.J from our special guest presenters – Senator Kristin Corrado and Senator Holly T. Schepisi.”

Corrado of Totowa is from LD-40 and Schepisi of River Vale is from LD-39.

The relevance to the event at hand is that Corrado and Schepisi come from Passaic and Bergen counties respectively, regions that Democrats control.

As the senators may point out, if a county’s overall political trend is against you, it still can be possible to win seats in certain sections of a county. That could be a practical goal for Essex Republicans.

And for those looking ahead, Schepisi’s name has popped up as a possible GOP candidate for governor in 2025.