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Alpine Councilman Switches to GOP, Endorses Ciattarelli

Alpine's political scene shifts as a councilman joins the Republicans. Could this signal a challenge to the borough council's Democratic majority?

, and Administrator

2025 October 23 . 8:07 PM

1 min read

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Alpine Councilman Switches to GOP, Endorses Ciattarelli

Alpine, Bergen County's third-smallest town with around 1,750 residents, has seen a political shift. David Kupferschmid, a councilman first elected in 2023, has left the Democratic Party to join the Republican Party. Despite recent Republican victories, the borough council remains Democrat-dominated.

Kupferschmid's switch comes as Jack Ciattarelli, the GOP gubernatorial nominee, won Alpine by a significant margin in 2021, defeating his Democratic opponent by about 18 percentage points. In contrast, President Donald Trump won the town by nearly 13 percentage points in 2020. Kupferschmid, now the sole Republican on the council, hopes his move signals a resurgence for the Republican Party in Alpine.

The councilman has endorsed Ciattarelli, praising his 'common sense' message. This includes putting 'brakes on over-development' and 'cleaning up crime'. Kupferschmid's endorsement comes ahead of his own re-election next year, indicating a potential shift in local politics.

David Kupferschmid's party switch and endorsement of Jack Ciattarelli suggest a potential realignment in Alpine's political landscape. Despite recent Republican successes at the state and national levels, the borough council remains Democrat-controlled. Kupferschmid's move could signal a challenge to this status quo in the upcoming elections.