Frank Herbert (politician)

Francis Xavier Herbert (January 11, 1931 – September 25, 2018) was an American school teacher and Democratic Party politician who served a single term on the New Jersey Senate where he represented the 39th Legislative District. He is the only candidate in New Jersey history to win a Federal primary election as a write-in candidate.

Frank Herbert
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 39th district
In office
January 10, 1978 – January 12, 1982
Preceded byRaymond Garramone
Succeeded byGerald Cardinale
Personal details
Born(1931-01-11)January 11, 1931
Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedSeptember 25, 2018(2018-09-25) (aged 87)
Denville, New Jersey
Political partyDemocratic

Biography

Herbert was born January 11, 1931, in Greenville, Jersey City, New Jersey to a working class, Irish Catholic family. Herbert received his bachelor's degree from Fordham University, in 1956, and his master's degree in education from Montclair State University. He taught English at the William L. Dickinson High School in Jersey City from September 1956 at least through June 1960.[1][2][3]

Herbert lost his first race for office running for the Borough Council in Waldwick, New Jersey, but ran again the next year and won.[4] In the wake of anti-Republican sentiment against Richard Nixon, Herbert won a seat on the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1973, but lost the seat when he ran for re-election in 1976.[4]

With Brendan Byrne at the top of the ticket winning the race for Governor of New Jersey, Herbert won the 1977 race for Senate in the 39th District, standing together with his running mates in support of the establishment of a state income tax to defeat Republican John Markert.[5] Herbert was the sponsor of the Bill that created NJ Transit, the statewide public transit agency, in July 1979.[6][7]

Gerald Cardinale defeated the incumbent Herbert in 1981. Herbert fell short again running against Cardinale in 1983,losing by about 1,000 votes.[4]

In 1994, Democratic Party officials asked Herbert, then a resident of Sparta Township, to run in the primary against John Kucek in New Jersey's 11th congressional district.[4] Kucek proclaimed himself as a "Christian populist" was a Holocaust denier and a public admirer of KKK Grand Wizard David Duke. New Jersey Democratic chairman Tom Byrne was elated by the success of the write-in campaign for Herbert that was organized in conjunction with Jewish organizations in the district, saying that "the first thing we had to do was convince people not to vote for the Nazi" before convincing voters to cast a write-in ballot for Herbert.[8] In the general election Herbert lost resoundingly to Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen by a margin of 71.2%-28.0%,[9]

By then a resident of Rockaway Township, New Jersey, Herbert won the Democratic primary for the party's state senate nomination in the 25th Legislative District in 2007. Campaigning on a platform that included a proposal to use a portion of revenue from the states toll roads to fund lower fares on New Jersey Transit and opposing Bucco's vote against state funding for stem cell research, Herbert lost to incumbent Anthony Bucco by 61.5%-38.5%.[4]

He was married to the former Eleanor Gillen and has three adult children. He died at the age of 87 on September 25, 2018.[3]

References
  1. The Gnome (Dickinson Yearbook) 1960
  2. Francis Xavier Herbert-obituary
  3. Wildstein, David. "Frank Herbert, former State Senator, dies at 87 Lost his seat to Cardinale, was Frelinghuysen’s first Dem House opponent", New Jersey Globe, September 27, 2018. Accessed September 28, 2018. "Frank X. Herbert, a charismatic, progressive Democrat who quoted Shakespeare, loved the New York Giants, and served in the New Jersey State Senate until Gerald Cardinale unseated him in 1981, passed away today. He was 87."
  4. Friedman, Matt. "Frank Herbert, back and ready for action", PolitickerNJ, August 30, 2007. Accessed October 27, 2010.
  5. Hanley, Robert. "Democrats in Bergen Support Income Tax", The New York Times, October 13, 1977. Accessed October 27, 2010.
  6. Staff. "A grand old Democrat takes one for the team in NJ...again", Daily Kos, August 30, 2007. Accessed July 17, 2017. " His proudest accomplishment was to sponsor the creation and expansion of NJ Transit, which thousands of New Jerseyans use today to travel across the state and to New York City.... Indeed, some legislators and public policy experts still refer to Herbert today as the 'Father of NJ Transit'."
  7. Linky, Donald J. "Governor Brendan T. Byrne Issues: Transportation", Rutgers University Center on the American Governor. Accessed July 17, 2017. "Democratic support came notably from Senator Frank Herbert, as well as Herald Hodes and Bob Mulcahy who both played key roles in cajoling their fellow representatives to come on board with the bill."
  8. Sullivan, Joseph F. "Vote in House Primary May Signal End of Era", The New York Times, June 12, 1994. Accessed October 27, 2010.
  9. NJ District 11: 1994 General Election, OurCampaigns.com. Accessed October 27, 2010.
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