( - promoted by JRB)
The 36th is comprised of Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Garfield, Lyndhurst, Moonachie, North Arlington, Rutherford, Wallington and Wood-Ridge in Bergen County and stretches across the Passaic River to include the Township of Nutley (Essex) and the city of Passaic (Passaic).
State Senator Paul Sarlo is also the Mayor of Wood-Ridge. Assemblyman Frederick Scalera is the Deputy Fire Chief in Nutley. Assemblyman Gary Schaer is a Passaic City Councilman.
Sarlo is Senate Assistant Majority Leader. |
| Democrats control councils in Wallington, Rutherford, Moonachie, North Arlington, and Wood-Ridge in Bergen County and the City of Passaic. Carlstadt, Lyndhurst, Nutley, and East Rutherford are controlled by Republicans.
The district has a large Hispanic and a large foreign born population. There are 97,266 registered voters in the 36th, 16.3% Republican and 23.7% Democrats. In 2005, Scalera and Schaer won the district by a 10,000 vote margin. This district has become more reliably Democrat but still has the possibility to swing to the Republicans.
The mayor of Nutley, Joanne Cocchiola-Oliver, and former Assemblyman Paul DiGaetano has been mentioned as possible challengers to Paul Sarlo. Former Assemblywoman and current Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan is always looking for a fight with her county republican group Bergen County Republicans Inc. (BCRI). The newly formed Red Faction is hoping to upset Democrats in Bergen County as well.
Some people have mentioned primary fights. Sarlo said that civil unions are as far as NJ should go and Schaer abstained from voting on the bill. An extremely liberal candidate could have some trouble in this district. As recently as 2003 there was a Republican Assemblyman here and there are other districts that could be challenged from the left and kept in Democratic hands.
In the past it's been said that each of the district's representatives doesn't have a base for votes outside of their respective towns. That, as evidenced by the results from 2005, doesn't seem to be the case. Scalera and Schaer won every town in 2005.
Sarlo has a large warchest, and is saving for a governor's race someday. Bergen County has 3 Freeholder seats up and the Sherriff's post in 2007. The 36th will receive plenty of dollars promoting Democrats from the BCDO. |
