Donald MacArt

Donald Fleming MacArt (January 28, 1919 – September 13, 1983) was an American Republican Party politician who served as an East Orange, New Jersey City Councilman and sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1968.

MacArt worked as the Deputy Chief Clerk in the Office of the Essex County Board of Elections in the late 1940s and early 1950s, before winning election as an East Orange Councilman in 1957 and 1961. He later served as Council Chairman.

His bid for re-election to a third term on the East Orange City Council became the subject of controversy after a recount between him and Democrat Ben Sweetwood ended in a tie. A panel of New Jersey Appellate Court Judges awarded the seat to Sweetwood after four of MacArt's absentee ballots were invalidated.

MacArt became a candidate for the New Jersey General Assembly in 1967, running in Essex County District 11D. He was the top vote getter for two seats in the Republican primary, with 3,978 votes. His running mate, Kenneth T. Wilson received 3,817 votes, followed by Alfred J. Sansone (3,025) and Ruth E. Hardy (2,959). In the general election, MacArt narrowly lost by a margin of just 266 votes, to Democrat Frank J. Dodd, who later served as New Jersey Senate President and was a candidate for Governor in 1981. Wilson ran first with 19,281 votes, followed by Dodd (19,101), MacArt (17,845), and Thomas H. Cooke, Jr., a future Mayor of East Orange (17,816).

In 1968, MacArt sought the Republican nomination for Congress in the 11th district against George M. Wallhauser, Jr., the son of a former Congressman. He lost 12,134 to 6,090.

MacArt attended The Peddie School and Temple University. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1942 to 1946. He was the son of James A. MacArt (1883-1962), a public relations executive who worked for the Republican National Committee. His wife was the former Cleo M. Crooks. An usher at his 1950 wedding was William O. Barnes, Jr., who represented Essex County in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1952 to 1950.