John Rooney

The Corzine campaign expects "that the margin will be tight" in the race for Bergen County Freeholder, and predicts that incumbent legislators from both parties will win re-election, according to a briefing memo prepared by the governor's re-election campaign. 

The Corzine campaign views District 36 as "reliably Democratic" and notes that the Republicans have targeted Assemblymen Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) and Frederick Scalera (D-Nutley) because "they think it will be more competitive without the popular Senator (Paul) Sarlo at the top of the ticket. 

"We do not expect the seats to change hands," the memo said.

The Democrats acknowledged the local 37th district split between State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck), their candidate for Lt. Governor, and the Bergen County Democratic Organization, but said that Weinberg and Michael Kasparian, who became the County Chairman following Joseph Ferriero's indictment, "have been able to establish more harmony."

In District 38, "there was concern that the ticket would be held down by residual issues with former Senator Joe Coniglio's conviction on corruption charges," the memo said.  But "recent polling has been extremely positive, and we expect that both Assemblywomen will retain their seats."

In a blunt analysis, the Corzine campaign conceded that they will not win Republican Assembly seats in the 39th and 40th districts.  "Unfortunately, we expect the Republicans to win reelection this November," the memo said about District 39, and in District 40 said "we do not think they will be able to unseat the Republicans this fall."

PolitickerNJ.com has prepared a Casualty List for the New Jersey Legislature for each year since 2001.

Fourteen-term Republican John Rooney, the senior member of the State Assembly, becomes the fifth legislator not seeking re-election in 2009.  Three Assemblymen are seeking another office: Richard Merkt (R-Mendham) is running for Governor; Michael Doherty (R-Washington) is seeking State Senate seat; and L. Harvey Smith (D-Jersey City) is a candidate for Mayor. Assemblywoman Sandra Love (D-Gloucester Township) is retiring. And Eric Munoz (R-Summit) passed away earlier this month at the age of 61.

Washington Township Committeeman Robert Schroeder, who sought the 2005 Republican gubernatorial nomination, is now the favorite to replace John Rooney in the State Assembly next year.

Former gubernatorial candidate Robert Schroeder easily won the endorsement of the Bergen County Republican Organization (BCRO) in his bid to succeed John Rooney as an Assemblyman from the 39th district.  Schroeder beat former River Edge Councilman John Felice, 194-32.  In a district where Democrats have not won a legislative race since 1977, Schroeder becomes an overwhelming favorite to go to the Legislature.

Look for Schroeder, a 49-year-old millionaire businessman who self-funded his 2005 campaign for Governor, to emerge as a leader within the Assembly Republican caucus next year.  The Washington Township Committeeman will have the ability to help raise money for other GOP Assembly candidates this year.

A key vote is scheduled for Saturday in Bergen County, where Republicans in the 39th district will pick a new Assemblyman to replace John Rooney.  Rooney, who has served in the Legislature since 1983, announced this week that he will not seek re-election.  Democrats have not won this district since 1977.

Four Republicans are seeking the endorsement of the Northeast Republican Organization (NERO): Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Montvale), Washington Township Committeeman Robert Schroeder, former River Edge Councilman John Felice, and Harrington Park Councilman Thomas Bettancourt.  The Bergen County Republican Organization will award the organization line to the winner of the NERO convention.

Former gubernatorial candidate Bob Schroeder could be headed to the State Assembly.

Robert Schroeder, who spent $2.1 million - most of it his own money - in pursuit of the 2005 Republican nomination for Governor, is now the leading candidate for an open State Assembly seat in the Bergen County-based 39th district.  The Washington Township Committeeman won the endorsement today of the incumbent, John Rooney, who is stepping down after 26 years in the Assembly. 

As a gubernatorial candidate, Schroeder won the organization line in Ocean County, and scored a victory at the Northeastern Republican Organization convention in Bergen County.  But he won just 6% of the vote in the GOP primary, finishing fifth in a field of seven candidates.  He did beat former Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano and former Bergen County Freeholder Todd Caliguire.

Schroeder now faces former River Edge Councilman John Felice (the son of former Assemblyman Nicholas Felice) and Harrington Park Councilman Thomas Bettancourt for the support of the Bergen County Republican Organization.  Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Montvale) is seeking re-election to an eleventh term, and while she is favored to win the Northeastern Republican Organization (NERO) convention on Saturday, it is possible that two other candidates might do so. The NERO vote will determine the line.

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. 

Former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie picked up more endorsements in northeastern Bergen County.

The Northeastern Republican Organization (NERO) will meet on Saturday to endorse a candidate for Governor, a prequel to the Bergen County Republican Convention on March 19 and an important test of strength as former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie and former Bogota Mayor Steven Lonegan face off in Lonegan's home county.

Republicans have not yet settled on who they're going to run for assembly in the 39th  legislative district, but two Democrats are eager to take on whoever is on the Republican ticket. 

John Shahdanian, a labor attorney and Democratic municipal chairman from Old Tappan, and Michael McCarthy, the political director of a stage hands' union, have both filed to run for the party line in the District 39 convention. 

The district, a Republican stronghold where Democrats haven't won since 1977 despite their dominance in the rest of the county, saw a well-funded but unsuccessful challenge two years ago by Democrats, who spent millions on the state senate campaign of attorney Joseph Ariyan and the assembly campaigns of River Edge Councilwoman Esther Fletcher and Dumont Councilman Carl Manna.  Despite the effort, state Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Demarest) and assembly incumbents John Rooney (R-Northvale) and Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Montvale) all won by comfortable margins.

"They got the wheels in motion. I think the tide is turning, and we can do really well," said Shahdanian. 

One Bergen County Democratic insider who worked on the 2007 campaign called it "our Vietnam" and doubted that the local party, let alone the state party, would again pour significant resources into the district - especially when it is still reeling by the indictment of its former chairman, Joe Ferriero.  And it's not yet officially known if Rooney, who last time around was considered the most vulnerable incumbent, will run again.  Republican sources say he won't.

Gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie today picked up the endorsements of 234 Republican leaders and elected officials in Bergen County, the home county of his chief rival, former Bogota Mayor Steven Lonegan.  Christie has the support of two-third of the county’s GOP Municipal Chairmen, and 23 Republican mayors.

Christie’s supporters include Bergen County GOP Chairman Robert Yudin, State Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Demarest), County Clerk Kathleen Donovan, Assemblymen John Rooney (R-Northvale) and David Russo (R-Ridgewood), Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Montvale), and former Bergen County Executive William “Pat” Schuber.

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden), above, would become the senior member of the Assembly if John Rooney retires. Roberts won a 1987 special election to fill the seat of the late Francis Gorman.

There is considerable speculation among Bergen County Republicans that Assemblyman John Rooney (R-Northvale) has decided not to seek re-election to a fifteen term, and sources say that he has already told some Republican leaders of his intention to retire. 

Four candidates have filed to compete for the two District 39 seats at next month's Bergen County Republican Convention: ten-term Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Montvale), Washington Township Committeeman Robert Schroeder, Harrington Park Councilman Tom Betancourt, and former River Edge Councilman John Felice, the son of former Assemblyman Nicholas Felice (R-Fair Lawn).  The conventional wisdom is that Schroeder, a millionaire businessman who sought the Republican nomination for Governor in 2005, is Rooney's preferred successor, and that Felice was prepared to challenge Rooney for the organization line.