Carl A. Orechio (September 12, 1914 – December 28, 1991) was an American

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

politician, who served in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...

from 1972 to 1982.

Career

Orechio was elected to the State Assembly in 1971, running in Essex County District 11C with the support of the Essex County Republican organization. He received 7,651 votes in the Republican primary, and his running mate, John N. Dennis, got 6,592 votes. They defeated incumbent Republican Assemblyman

Ralph R. Caputo Ralph R. Caputo (born October 31, 1940) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since January 8, 2008, where he represents the 28th Legislative District. He had previously served on the Esse ...

(2,098 votes) and his running mate, David B. Ford (1,567 votes) Two years earlier, Fiore had defeated Carl Orechio's brother,

Carmen Orechio Carmen Anthony Orechio (November 4, 1926 – February 26, 2018) was an American politician who served as President of the New Jersey Senate and as Commissioner and Mayor of Nutley, New Jersey. Early life and education Orechio was born in 1926 in ...

, a Democrat, for the same Assembly seat. In the general election, Orechio and Dennis easily Democrats Peter A. Torre, Jr. and David Conrad. He was re-elected to a second term in the Democratic landslide of 1973, running in the newly created 27th district, which included northern Essex County suburbs of Nutley, Montclair, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Verona, Caldwell, Essex Fells and Cedar Grove. In the general election, Orechio was narrowly re-elected, 27,395 votes to 26,877 votes, against Democrat James J. Mills of Glen Ridge. The top vote getter in that race was Democrat Robert Ruane with 28,465 votes. Dennis finished fourth with 25,764 votes. His brother, Democrat

, was elected State Senator from the same district, defeating two-term Republican Senator Michael A. Giuliano. He won re-election to a third term in 1975, with 26,773 votes. Dennis was again elected, beating Ruane 26,471 to 23,404; Democrat Herbert Lev finished fourth with 18,886 votes. In 1977, Dennis ran for the Senate against Carmen Orechio. Carl Orechio and his running mate, Roger L. Toner, won the Republican primary, with 8,555 and 7,063 votes, respectively, against 1976 congressional candidate Charles A. Poekel, Jr. (3,752 votes) and Vincent M. Iannuzzelli (2,461 votes). In the general election, Orechio was the top vote getter with 26,943 votes, followed by Democrat A. Joseph "Buddy" Fortunato, the son-in-law of ''Italian Tribune'' editor and former White House photographer Ace Alagna, with 25,212. Toner got 23,479 and Diane Horowitz got 23,411. In June 1977, Orechio was a candidate for Essex County Republican Chairman, but was defeated for the post by

John Renna John Pasquale Renna Jr. (May 19, 1920 – August 21, 1998) was a builder and Republican Party politician who served two separate tenures as the Essex County, New Jersey Republican Chairman, and as the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of C ...

. Orechio was elected to the State Assembly for a fifth time in 1979, finishing second behind Fortunato. Losing were Republican Anthony Gallo, a Bloomfield councilman, and Democrat Robert W. Noonan of Montclair. He did not seek re-election in 1981. In 1986, Orechio won the Republican nomination for

Essex County Executive The County Executive of Essex County, New Jersey, United States is the chief officer of the county's executive branch and oversees the administration of county government. Approved in a 1977 referendum, the office was inaugurated in 1978 at the s ...

. He dropped out of the race after the primary and was replaced by Nicholas R. Amato, who then defeated the incumbent, Peter Shapiro.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Orechio, Carl A. 1914 births Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Republican Party New Jersey state senators People from Nutley, New Jersey Politicians from Essex County, New Jersey 1991 deaths 20th-century American politicians