Carlstadt councilwoman joins GOP bid for 36th Assembly seats

Carlstadt Councilwoman Diane DeBiase joined Republican Chris Musto’s campaign for the state Assembly in New Jersey’s 36th district on Thursday.

Musto, a former Lyndhurst school board member and homeland security official, launched his campaign in November. The pair are seeking office in a Bergen and Passaic County district that hasn’t elected a Republican since 2006 but was won by President Donald Trump in November.

“Voters need a change, and we believe we can provide that,” DeBiase said in the release. “I have a proven track record of leadership, keeping taxes low, and providing a safe community for residents.”

Republicans hope to make the district competitive after Trump’s victory but still face a tough battle against well-established Democrats running for re-election.

DeBiase was appointed to the Carlstadt Council in 2020 and elected to full terms in 2021 and last November.

Assemblymen Clinton Calabrese (D-Cliffside Park) and Gary Schaer (D-Passaic City) represent the 36th district. Both have filed for reelection.

The 36th district encompasses 11 South Bergen municipalities and dips into Passaic County to include Passaic City. State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) won his 2023 election in the district by 23 percentage points, but presidential results in the district have swung right. In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton won the district by 18 percentage points, but Trump won the district by 4.5 percentage points this past November.

“I’m excited to move forward with Diane for the upcoming election,” Musto said in the release. “As a current three-term member of Carlstadt’s leadership team, she understands the importance of the safety and security of our communities, keeping taxes low, creating a strong education system, and encouraging economic growth.”

The Auriemma Twins– Chris ran for Senate and his brother, Craig, ran for Assembly in 2021 and 2023, are also seeking the GOP nomination.

The other member of their slate, electrician Joseph Viso, has a long history of drug charges, firearm misuse, financial difficulties, and – most pungently – spreading fecal matter on the doors of a children’s daycare center; even in New Jersey, that’s a dealbreaker. Viso’s background somehow slipped past Republican party leaders who are meant to be on the lookout for that sort of thing.