November 7, 2007 - 2:25am
Stender wins unimpressively; Schaer margin smallest of any Assembly incumbent winner
By Wally EdgeFour Democratic Assembly seats not expected to be in play turned out to be especially close, including Linda Stender, who won re-election by about the same number of votes Mike Ferguson did in his congressional race against her last year.
Stender defeated Republican Robert Gatto, who spent about $100 and mounted no real campaign, by just 3,327 votes in the 22nd district. Her running mate, Gerald Green, defeated Bryan Des Roschers by just 3,260 votes. Gatto and Des Roschers have both lost bids for municipal office.
In the 36th district, Freshman Democratic Assemblyman Gary Schaer, the Passaic City Council President, won by just 2,370 votes over Republican Don Diorio and by only 2,474 votes over Republican Carmen Pio Costa. Democratic Assemblyman Frederick Scalera ran 886 votes ahead of Schaer.
The margins for Stender, Green, Schaer and Scalera were actually less than several incumbents believed to be in tough races, including Nelson Albano, Linda Greenstein, John Rooney and Charlotte Vandervalk.
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Schaer and Scalera dragged down by Sarlo
District 36 Assemblymen Gary Schaer and Fred Scalera were embarrassed by the shockingly poor performance of their top-of-the-ticket running mate, Senator Paul Sarlo.
Sarlo was nearly upended by penniless local Republican gadfly Mike Guarino of Lyndhurst. Sarlo's arrogance and narcissism weighs like an albatross around the necks of his assembly colleagues in the 36th district.
Schaer and Scalera came close to the edge of the cliff during the vote tallies and have now realized just how damaging Sarlo can be to their public careers.
Until Schaer and Scalera make a clean break with Sarlo, there will be nothing to stop their local support from eroding.
On The Waterfront since 1954
Even more interesting
Sarlo's two Encap Towns, Rutherford and North Arlington Democrats all went down on election day. Democrats had a lock on the mayor and council in those towns for years.
Rutherford and North Arlington were forced to raise taxes this year in part because of Encap. Sarlo also ran uncontested for Mayor in Wood-Ridge, but there was a minor effort locally for a write in candidate who received over 300 write in votes.
I agree, Schaer is the worst 36 candidate
since that gadfly Massa from Lyndhurst, the Demos ran in the 90s.
Sarlo is the worst candidate in 36th
You erred BergenBoy14. Paul Sarlo is the worst candidate in District 36.
It's amazing how Senator Paul Sarlo repeatedly sabotages local Democrats in his district while playing in his own sandbox with local Republicans. Not a good way to "win friends and influence people". Tell him to read a Dale Carnegie book.
This will likely mean a primary challenge from local Democrats in south Bergen's district 36 the next time around. According to plenty of meadowlands Democrats, they have lost trust in their Senator.
Unfortunately, two good Assembly members, Fred Scalera and Gary Schaer, may get caught in the crossfire. And that's a shame. Hopefully, they will cut Sarlo loose and let him drift out on his own raft all by himself.
On The Waterfront since 1954