Gary Schaer | |
|---|---|
 Schaer in 2017 | |
| Member of theNew Jersey General Assembly from the36th district | |
| Assumed office January 10, 2006 Serving with
| |
| Preceded by | Paul DiGaetano |
| ActingMayor ofPassaic, New Jersey | |
| In office May 9, 2008 – November 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Rivera |
| Succeeded by | Alex Blanco |
| Member ofPassaic City Council | |
| Assumed office May 1995 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1951-09-11)September 11, 1951 (age 74) |
| Nationality | American |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Donna |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Passaic,New Jersey |
| Alma mater | American University (BA) |
| Website | Legislative web page |
Gary Steven Schaer (born September 11, 1951) is an AmericanDemocratic Party politician who represents the36th Legislative District in theNew Jersey General Assembly since he took office on January 10, 2006. He also serves on thePassaic, New Jersey City Council where he is the council president.[1] Schaer is the firstOrthodox Jew in theNew Jersey Legislature. In the Assembly, Schaer was Deputy Speaker from 2012 to 2023 and chair of the Budget Committee from 2014 to 2017, and has been the Assembly's Policy Chair since 2020.[2]
Schaer grew up inPennsauken Township, New Jersey.[3] He attendedAmerican University, majoring inpolitical science.[2]
Schaer has served on the Passaic City Council since 1995, including being the council president off-and-on since 1997.[4][5] He has been a Director of Passaic'sUrban Enterprise Zone since 2002. He served as a Commissioner on theBoard of Education for thePassaic County Technical Institute from 1999 to 2003 and was a commissioner on the Passaic Housing Authority from 1992 to 1996.[2] In March 2023, Schaer was hired as the executive director of the Passaic County Improvement Authority.[6]
Schaer unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Passaic in 1997 finishing behind incumbent Margie Semler and councilmanSamuel Rivera.[7] In May 2008, Schaer became the acting mayor of Passaic upon the resignation of Rivera, who had won election to the office in 2001, as a result of Rivera pleading guilty on corruption charges.[8] Though he considered running for the remainder of the term, Schaer declined to seek election to the unexpired term and was succeeded byAlex Blanco.[9]
He is a Trustee ofSt. Mary's Hospital. Schaer has worked in the financial services industry for over 20 years. He is an investment consultant and vice president at Ryan Beck & Company.[2] A resident of Passaic, he is married to Donna and has three children.[5]
Schaer was elected to the Assembly on November 8, 2005, and took the seat ofRepublicanPaul DiGaetano, who did not run for re-election and had held the seat in the Assembly continuously since 1992.[10] Schaer represents the 36th District, a district consisting of only the City of Passaic inPassaic County in the2001 and2011 apportionments andBergen County (Nutley inEssex County was a part of the district in the 2001 apportionment); his predecessor DiGaetano has also been a resident of Passaic. District leaders attempt to providegeographic balance when picking candidates.[11]
Schaer is the firstOrthodox Jew to serve in theNew Jersey Legislature. In situations in which the legislature is in session on Saturday, theJewish Sabbath, when the dictates of his Orthodox Jewish faith prohibit him from participating in forbidden forms of work, he has appointed an aide to formally cast a ballot on his behalf, a policy permitted by the Assembly's rules, as long as the legislator is in the building.[3]
He held the Deputy Speaker position in the Assembly from 2012 to 2023 and was Chair of the Budget Committee from 2014 to 2017. He has been the Assembly's Policy Chair since 2020.[2]
Committee assignments for the2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[2]
Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in theNew Jersey Senate and two members in theNew Jersey General Assembly.[12] The representatives from the 36th District for the2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[13]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Clinton Calabrese (incumbent) | 18,228 | 30.6 | |
| Democratic | Gary S. Schaer (incumbent) | 18,072 | 30.3 | |
| Republican | Craig Auriemma | 11,761 | 19.7 | |
| Republican | Joseph Viso Jr. | 11,546 | 19.4 | |
| Total votes | 59,607 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gary S. Schaer (incumbent) | 24,654 | 28.40% | |
| Democratic | Clinton Calabrese (incumbent) | 24,137 | 27.80% | |
| Republican | Joseph Viso Jr. | 19,025 | 21.91% | |
| Republican | Craig Auriemma | 19,008 | 21.89% | |
| Total votes | 86,824 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gary Schaer (incumbent) | 14,990 | 30.86% | ||
| Democratic | Clinton Calabrese (incumbent) | 14,901 | 30.68% | ||
| Republican | Foster Lowe | 9,350 | 19.25% | ||
| Republican | Khaldoun Androwis | 9,336 | 19.22% | ||
| Total votes | 47,346 | 100% | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
Of the 16 candidates vying for four council seats, Chaim Munk was the highest vote-getter, with 2,044. He was followed by Benni Jakubovic, with 1,987 votes, and Gary Schaer, with 1,927. Magnus Ellen was fourth with 1,792 votes.
In 1997, Rivera came in second to Mayor Margie Semler by 264 votes... [o]ther possible candidates are Councilman Gary Schaer, who finished third in 1997...
At least that was partly the argument in the room against Sarlo, who defended the tri-county configuration and an agreement he had with the county executive to keep a Nutley rep.
| New Jersey General Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theNew Jersey General Assembly for the36th District January 10, 2006 – present With:Frederick Scalera,Kevin J. Ryan,Marlene Caride | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Acting Mayor ofPassaic, New Jersey May 5, 2008 – November 2008 | Succeeded by |