FORT LEE - It was said that the "core" of the Bergen County Democratic Party was together Saturday morning in one room.

That room was in a local VFW and this was a rally for Tuesday's primary starring Josh Gottheimer, the county's own gubernatorial candidate.

He said he was feeling well, pleased with the early vote numbers, meaning turnout was good where Gottheimer needs to do well. For example, 22,000 Democrats in Bergen County had already voted as of Friday.

With six candidates, the race remains pretty wide open, given the fact it will not take all that many votes for a candidate to win. All seem to agree it's going to be tight.

Mark Sokolich, the mayor of Fort Lee, said,"It's a complicated primary," adding that voters need to think about things.  That's probably a good thing, not a bad thing.

For the Bergen Dems, two races are in play- the gubernatorial primary and a number of local contests. But there is a connection.

Two incumbent Democratic Assembly candidates in LD-37 and three incumbent county commissioners are being challenged by candidates aligned with gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop. They're running under the slogan, Democrats for Change.
That slogan was ridiculed.

Paul Juliano, the county Democratic chair, said the incumbents are doing a fine job and there is no good reason to change anything.

As for the governor's race. Gottheimer attacked none of his opponents, but Republican frontrunner Jack Ciattarelli. He said he would be a "puppet" for Donald Trump.

Gottheimer, who is not as ideologically left wing as some of his opponents, said:

"We need to win. I'm the one that's going to bring it home in November."

Gottheimer has built much of his campaign on lowering taxes and making the state more affordable. He said:

"People are hurting, They need help. They can't stand the 'orange man.' They need somebody who is actually going to deliver real results."