Former Lyndhurst school board president Chris Musto and Carlstadt Councilwoman Diane DeBiase, two unsuccessful Republican nominees for Assembly in last year’s elections, have endorsed Clifton Councilwoman Rosie Pino for the 9th congressional district.
Musto and DeBiase ran for the 36th legislative district, making them the GOP’s standard-bearers in parts of southern Bergen County and the city of Passaic. The 36th district voted for Donald Trump in 2024, putting it on the target list for Republicans, but incumbent Assemblymen Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) and Clinton Calabrese (D-Cliffside Park) won by a 61%-39% margin.
Pino is embarking on a similarly difficult quest against Rep. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) in the Paterson-based 9th district; Trump narrowly carried the district in 2024, but it swung back to its historic Democratic roots last year, backing Mikie Sherrill by close to 20 percentage points.
Pino is currently the only Republican in the race against Pou; she had been locked in a primary with 2020, 2022, and 2024 nominee Billy Prempeh, but he dramatically exited the race last month. One other Republican, attorney Tiffany Glenn Burress, may launch a campaign as well.
Musto and DeBiase are two of the first Republicans to weigh in on the still-in-flux Republican primary, and their backing could be a sign that Pino is starting to make inroads in Bergen County.
“Rosie Pino understands what families in our district are facing because she’s lived it,” Musto said in a statement. “She knows how to beat the odds, and she’s exactly the kind of fighter New Jersey needs in Congress right now.”
“Rosie represents the future of our party and our country,” DeBiase added. “She is authentic, principled, and fearless in standing up to the political machine that has failed our communities for far too long.”
