Bob Schroeder

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HILLSDALE – Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk (R- Westwood) and Councilman Robert Schroeder (R-Twp of Washington) pledged their support for legislation proposed by Assembly members Alex DeCroce, Dave Rible and Vince Polistina which would establish the Office of Auditor General.

HILLSDALE – The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) has endorsed Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk (R- Hillsdale) and Councilman Robert Schroeder (R- Twp of Washington) in their bids to represent District 39 in the New Jersey State Assembly.

In Case You Missed It: The Price of Freedom by Councilman Bob Schroeder as published in the Pascack Press

Hillsdale – Responding to Governor Jon Corzine and the Democrat state legislature’s proposed FY2010 budget plan to eliminate the property tax rebate and the property tax deduction on middle class families, Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk and candidate for Assembly Bob Schroeder released the following statement:

Assemblyman John Rooney will not seek re-election. The Bergen County Republican has been in the Legislature since 1983.

Assemblyman John Rooney (R-Northvale), the longest serving member of the state assembly, will not seek another term and has endorsed Washington Township Councilman Bob Schroeder to take his place.

Rooney, who has served in the lower house since 1983 and has been mulling retirement for over a year, made his decision official in a letter to fellow Bergen County Republicans dated March 2. 

“I would like to thank you for all your past support in 14 election and re-election campaigns during my 26 years as your Assemblyman in District 39.  It was truly appreciated,” he wrote.  “This letter is to inform that I am withdrawing my name as a candidate for this office in the upcoming NERO convention.”

Rooney went on to write that Schroeder, a former Republican gubernatorial primary candidate who owns a military contracting business, has the support to fend off Democrats if they make another major play for the district, as they did in 2007. 

Assemblyman John Rooney (R-Bergen) hasn't decided whether he'll seek re-election to the seat he's held since 1983Assemblyman John Rooney (R-Northvale) has still not made a decision on whether he will retire from the legislature after his current term is up.

But Rooney, who after 25 years in office has become longest serving current member of the Assembly, said that the speculation that he will face a primary challenge from Washington Township Council President Bob Schroeder, a wealthy defense contractor and former gubernatorial candidate, is wrong.

“He’s absolutely confirmed that he’s not going to run against us,” said Rooney, who had the conversation with Schroder at his own birthday party last month, which also commemorated his 25th year in the Assembly.

When Rob Ortiz assumed the chairmanship of the Bergen County Republican Organization five months ago, he made it clear in his inaugural speech not to expect any miracles. And it would indeed take a miracle to bring unity to the organization so quickly, which today seems to remain almost as fractious as when he took over.

Already, two potential challengers to Ortiz come June appear on the horizon: former Bergen County Utilities Authority Chairman Ben Focarino, an old hand in the BCRO who ran against Ortiz in July, and former freeholder candidate Bob Yudin.

So far, Ortiz has touted some municipal victories, particularly in Rutherford, as evidence that the party is clawing its way back to relevance against the dominant Bergen County Democrats. But many Bergen County Republicans who agreed to put aside loyalties and give Ortiz a chance to revive the party have already started making noise about the glacial pace of progress, and are disappointed that Ortiz – who largely ran on his fundraising abilities – has yet to bring the party out of debt, which stands at a better-than-expected $38,000 (a number discovered after an audit commissioned by Ortiz).

Bob Schroeder loves New Jersey, and he’s not letting beachgoers forget it.

The Washington Township Council President, who placed fifth in his bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2005, still has a small plane fly his trademark “Bob Schroeder Loves New Jersey 2007” banner up and down the Jersey Shore several times per week. But Schroeder, who said he’s flown the banner for the past few years, said not to take it as a sign of a second bid for Governor in 2009.

The world of Bergen County Republican politics has taken another strange direction, with Bergen County Republican Chairman Guy Talarico picking the wife of one of his opponents to run on his line for Freeholder. Bill Thomson, a former New Jersey Christian Coalition Chairman who managed Bob Schroeder's campaign for Governor last year, entered the race to challenge Talarico earlier this year, saying that Talarico lacked the fundraising and organizational skills needed to win a countywide election. Now his wife, Lauren Thomson, will run for Freeholder on the Bergen County Republican Organization line with County Executive candidate Todd Caliguire, Freeholder candidate Robert Yudin, and former Bogota Councilman John Scalzo, an ally of conservative leader Steve Lonegan, who will run for Surrogate. Sources say that Thomson has not abandoned his challenge to Talarico.