Primary Election: District 39

For those towns, new and old in the New Jersey Legislative District 39, next week's primary election has all incumbents running unopposed for their shot at the November ballot.

Running for re-election are Sen. Gerald Cardinale (Demarest) and Assembly members Robert Schroeder (Washington Township) and Charlotte Vandervalk (Hillsdale). All three are running on the "Republicans for Responsible Government" ticket.

Sen. Gerald Cardinale

A member of the Senate since 1982, he has served in the State Senate as Deputy Majority Leader from 1994 to 2001, as Majority Whip from 1992 to 1993, as Assistant Minority Leader from 1987 to 1989 and as Minority Whip from 1985 to 1986.

He serves on the Commerce Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Legislative Oversight Committee.

Prior to his election to the Senate, Cardinale spent time in the Assembly from 1980-81, was mayor of Demarest from 1975 to 1979 and was a trustee of the Demarest Board of Education from 1967 to 1973, serving as its president from 1969 to 1971.

Cardinale earned a B.S. degree from St. John's University (Chemistry) in 1955 and was awarded a D.D.S. from the New York University College of Dentistry in 1959. He is a dentist by profession, with an office in Fort Lee.

Assemblyman Robert Schroeder

Schroeder was elected to the Assembly in 2009 after spending close to two decades as a Washington Township councilman. He serves on the following committees: Financial Institutions and Insurance; Homeland Security and State Preparedness; and Special Committee on Economic Development.

Born and raised in Bergen County, Schroeder graduated from  in Washington Township in 1978; four years later he graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with a B.A. in Business Administration. He is the founder of All Points International Distributors, which supports international relief efforts by the United States government, the United Nations and NATO.

While sitting on the Washington Township council, he served as council president twice and Council vice president three times. He is a volunteer firefighter in the township since 1980 and is a trustee of the Leo P. McGuire Public Safety and Education Foundation.

Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk

Vandervalk was elected to the Assembly in 1991 where she has been the Deputy Republican Leader from 2002-2003 and Assistant Majority Leader from 1992-1995.

She serves in the Assembly on the Consumer Affairs Committee and the Housing and Local Government Committee.

Vandervalk served on the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1986-1991 and prior to that was on the Montvale Borough Council from 1980-1985.

She has served on the Governor’s Advisory Council on AIDS since 2002, and on the Commission for Study of Pain Management Policy since 2003. She served on the Certificate of Need Study Commission in 1999, the Governor’s Task Force on Welfare Reform in 1996 and the Capital Planning Commission from 1991-1992.