Paul DiGaetano

Paul DiGaetano (born October 28, 1953) is the current Bergen County Republican Organization Chairman. DiGaetano also served in the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 36th Legislative District from 1986 – 1987 and again from 1992 – 2006. DiGaetano also served as a member of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission, the Legislative Service Commission and the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology. DiGaetano originally represented Passaic, New Jersey, but moved to Nutley, New Jersey following his 1999 re-election (DiGaetano believed that, when the new legislative districts would be redrawn following the 2000 U.S. Census, Passaic would be split from District 36 and he wanted to ensure that he would keep his seat if it came to that). He served with John Kelly of Nutley for many years in the Assembly, but for his last two terms in office he served as part of a split ticket; Wood-Ridge, New Jersey mayor Paul Sarlo was elected to Kelly's seat in 2001 and after Sarlo moved to the State Senate Frederick Scalera of Nutley was elected in 2003 to replace him.

In 2005, DiGaetano did not run for re-election in the split 36th District, choosing instead to run for the Republican nomination for governor. DiGaetano came in a distant sixth in the primary election with 16,684 votes, well behind winner Doug Forrester who received 108,941. On Election Day, November 8, 2005, Democrat Frederick Scalera, who joined the Assembly in 2003, retained his seat and running mate Gary Schaer was victorious, picking up DiGaetano's open seat for the Democrats.

DiGaetano received a B.S. degree from the University of Notre Dame in Aerospace Engineering. He is President of J. DiGaetano and Sons Inc., a construction and development company. DiGaetano's main opponent for the nomination is Kristin Corrado, the current Passaic County Clerk who is expected to receive backing from the county committee there.

DiGaetano confirmed that should he be elected he will remain as the Bergen County Republican Chairman.

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 Legislative District for the 2004–2006 legislative session were: Assemblyman Frederick Scalera, and Senator Paul Sarlo