Herbert H. Shaw

Herbert H. Shaw (February 16, 1930–) was an American maintenance worker, political gadfly, anti-corruption activist, and prominent perennial candidate from Hudson County, New Jersey who ran for elected office more than 75 times over five decades under the "Politicians Are Crooks" banner.

Political campaigns Shaw was a native of Weehawken. He claimed that his interest in politics began during the 1960s with his opposition to U.S. involvement in Vietnam and his frustration in trying to get a position as an electrical inspector in neighboring North Bergen. According to Shaw, he passed a civil service exam but lost the job to a politically connected man who failed the test. As a result, he launched a career challenging the Hudson County Democratic Party machine from the late 1960s until his death in 2016 on the "Politicians Are Crooks" ticket. Helstoski was indicted on federal bribery charges the next year.

In 1978, Shaw ran for U.S. Senate against Bill Bradley and Jeff Bell. He received 4,736 votes, leading all of the nine independent and minor-party candidates.

In 1986, Shaw ran against U.S. representative Frank J. Guarini.

In 2007, Shaw received his highest share of the vote yet, about 5 percent for county executive.

Personal life and death As of 1995, Shaw worked as a maintenance worker for the Newark Public Library. He said the backyard was "packed with junk, including a rusty school bus, old tires, several cars, an unused van, tables, and a variety of other items."