Preceded by Paul DiGaetano Spouse(s) Donna Education American University Preceded by Samuel Rivera Children three Party Democratic Party | Nationality American Name Gary Schaer Succeeded by Alex Blanco Political party Democratic Role American Politician | |
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Born September 11, 1951 (age 72) ( 1951-09-11 ) Residence Passaic, New Jersey, United States | ||
Gary Schaer: Anti-Semitism, Racism Have No Place in this World
Gary Steven Schaer (born September 11, 1951) is an American Democratic Party politician who serves in the New Jersey General Assembly where he represents the 36th Legislative District. He took office on January 10, 2006, and remains on the Passaic, New Jersey City Council where he is the council president. Schaer is the first Orthodox Jew in the New Jersey Legislature. Currently serving as a deputy speaker, and as Chairman of the important Budget Committee, Schaer is one of the highest-ranking members of the Assembly.
Contents
- Gary Schaer Anti Semitism Racism Have No Place in this World
- Biography
- Legislative career
- District 36
- References
Biography
Schaer grew up in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey. He attended American University, majoring in political science.
Schaer has served on the Passaic City Council since 1995, including being the Council President off-and-on since 1997. He has been a Director of Passaic's Urban Enterprise Zone since 2002. He served as a Commissioner on the Board of Education for the Passaic County Technical Institute from 1999 to 2003 and was a Commissioner on the Passaic Housing Authority from 1992 to 1996.
Schaer unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of Passaic in 1997 finishing behind incumbent Margie Semler and councilman Samuel Rivera. 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. Though he considered running for the remainder of the term, Schaer declined to seek election to the unexpired term and was succeeded by Alex Blanco.
He is a Trustee of St. 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. A resident of Passaic, he is married to Donna and has three children.
Legislative career
Schaer was elected to the Assembly on November 8, 2005, and took the seat of Republican Paul DiGaetano, who did not run for re-election and had held the seat in the Assembly continuously since 1992. Schaer unofficially represents the Passaic County portion of the 36th District, a district consisting of only the City of Passaic in Passaic County in the 2001 and 2011 apportionments and Bergen County (Nutley in Essex County was a part of the district in the 2001 apportionment); his predecessor DiGaetano is also a resident of Passaic. District leaders attempt to provide geographic balance when picking candidates here.
Schaer is the first Orthodox Jew to serve in the New Jersey Legislature. In situations in which the legislature is in session on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, when the dictates of his Orthodox Jewish faith prohibit him from participating in forbidden forms of work, he has appointed an aide to cast a ballot on his behalf, a policy permitted by the Assembly's rules, as long as the legislator is in the building.
Since 2014, Schaer has been the chair of the Assembly Budget Committee. He is also a member of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee (as Co-Chair), the Appropriations Committee, and the Higher Education Committee. He holds the Deputy Speaker leadership position in the Assembly, a position he has held since 2012.
District 36
Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 36th District for the 2016–2017 Legislative Session are: