Frank Herbert (politician)

Frank Herbert (Francis Xavier Herbert) was born January 11, 1931 in Greenville, Jersey City, New Jersey to a working class, Irish Catholic family. He is an American English 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 election as a write-in candidate. Herbert lost his first race for office running for the Borough Council in Waldwick, New Jersey, but ran again the next year and won.^[1] 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.^[1]

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.^[2] Gerald Cardinale knocked off the incumbent Herbert in 1981 and Herbert fell short again running against Cardinale in 1983 and losing by about 1,000 votes.^[1]

In 1994, Democratic Party officials asked Herbert to run in the primary against John Kucek in New Jersey's 11th congressional district.^[1] Kucek proclaimed himself as a "Christian populist" was a Holocaust denier and a public admirer of KKK Grandmaster David Duke. New Jersey Democratic chairman Brendan 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.^[3] In the general election Herbert lost resoundingly to incumbent Rodney Frelinghuysen by a margin of 71.2%-28.0%,^[4]

By then a resident of Rockaway Township, New Jersey, Herbert won the Democratic primary for the party's nomination in the 25th Legislative District. 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%.^[1]

Herbert is a graduate of Fordham University. He is married to the former Eleanor Gillem and has three adult children.

References