Ernest Schuck

SPEAKER ROBERTS STATEMENT ON PASSING OF FORMER ASSEMBLYMAN ERNEST F. SCHUCK

(TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr.(D-Camden) issued the following statement today on the passing of former Assemblyman Ernest F. Schuck (D-Camden):

“Assemblyman Schuck will be remembered as someone who served so many with honor, commitment and distinction..."

One bit of trivia regarding Assemblyman Ernest Schuck, the former Camden County legislator who passed away over the weekend:  one of his legislative aides during his final term in the State Assembly was a young political operative with some promise - George Norcross.  Schuck's defeat in the 1981 Democratic State Senate primary against fellow Assemblyman Walter Rand was perhaps the last time Norcross backed the losing candidate in a legislative primary.

Former Assemblyman Ernest Schuck, a Camden County Democrat who served four terms in the State Assembly, passed away on Saturday.  He was 80.

Schuck was elected to the Assembly in 1973, representing the old fifth district.  He took the seat of Assembly Minority Leader John Horn, who was running for the Senate, and ran on a ticket with Assemblyman Jim Florio.  Schuck gave up his Assembly seat to run for State Senator in 1981, but lost the Democratic primary to Walter Rand; they were both seeking the seat of incumbent Angelo Errichetti, who was forced to forfeit is Senate seat and his position as Mayor of Camden following his criminal conviction in the Abscam scandal.

Schuck served as Mayor of Barrington from 1968 to 1973.

A viewing will be held on Tuesday from 6:30-9:30 PM and on Wednesday from 8:30-9:30 AM at the Popiolek Funeral Home in Barrington.  A Mass will be celebrated at 10AM on Wednesday at St. Francis de Sales Church in Barrington.

ELEC Photo

Former Assembly Majority Leader Albert Burstein

Two Democratic members of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, who may play a critical role in deciding the fate of Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan, are Trenton veterans who have spent six decades in New Jersey politics.  Both Albert Burstein and Jerry Fitzgerald English have enjoyed successful political careers, although each fell quite short of achieving their full public service ambitions.

Burstein (D-Tenafly), now 86-years-old, was widely viewed as one of the most intellectually superior and independent members of the New Jersey Legislature, where he served from 1972 to 1982, but he was also a late bloomer who fell short in several opportunities to move up.  Burstein started out in politics in 1959 as counsel to the Jersey City Charter Commission and became active in Tenafly politics in the 1960's.  He was elected to the State Assembly in 1971, when legislative redistricting created a new Englewood/Teaneck seat that leaned toward the Democrats.  Running with Byron Baer, Burstein beat Jim O'Dowd (who would later serve as Bergenfield Mayor and Bergen County Freeholder) by 2,335 votes.

When legislative districts were redrawn for the 1973 elections, the newly-created 37th became even more Democratic.  But neither Burstein nor Baer got the chance to challenge the incumbent Republican Senator, Joseph Woodcock.  That opportunity went to Bergen County Democratic Chairman Matthew Feldman, a former Teaneck Mayor who had served in the Senate from 1966 to 1968.  Feldman easily beat Woodcock and Burstein and Baer coasted to win second terms.