WHO’S UP

Brendan Gill

Having augmented his political stature as campaign manager for Phil Murphy last year, the Essex County Freeholder (seen receiving the oath of office from Murphy) re-positioned his government hat by notching a victory as President of the Freeholder Board.

Britnee Timberlake

The former President of the Essex County Freeholder Board is poised to supplant Lieutenant Governor-elect Sheila Oliver as the next Assemblywoman from the 34th District.

Ruben Ramos

The charismatic former Assemblyman assumed the oath of office as President of the Hoboken City Council in the new era of Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla.

Steve Lonegan

The fact that BCRO Chairman Paul DiGaetano will have to watch his own back in the march-down to June empowers the CD5 Republican candidate who’s running against DiGaetano’s preferred candidate in the GOP Primary.

Bill McCoy

The Paterson Councilman this week collected the coveted endorsement of overlord At-Large Councilman Ken Morris, Jr., who has startled Paterson politics watchers by not yet taking out petitions to run for reelection.

WHO’S DOWN

Ann Marie McCarthy

The Franklin Twp. Clerk was arrested and charged last month, for deceiving Horizon Blue Cross for payments of services for which she did not receive, according to court documents, according to this TAPinto story.

Joyce Watterman

The Jersey City Councilwoman had her family in the first row this week as she prepared for her colleagues to support her as council president for the next two years. But by a vote of 7-2, the council went instead with Rolando Lavarro, shocking the chamber and leaving Watterman’s allies in the lurch.

Paul DiGaetano

Amid party unrest in Bergen County in the aftermath of his embarrassing loss to Senator Kristin Corrado, the chairman of the Bergen County Republican Organization (BCRO) will have to fend off a challenge from former Hackensack Mayor Jack Zisa.

Tony Verrelli

The likeable Mercer County Freeholder was the favorite early to replace Assemblywoman Liz Muoio (D-15) in the legislature, but sources tell InsiderNJ that committee members are aggressively pushing back against the bold power player by the Carpenters Union with the argument that LD14, LD15 and LD16 (which all represent portions of Mercer) would share the uniform feature of having white males only in the event that the committee taps Verrelli for the seat.