LaCorte will run again in Union

James LaCorte will seek a fifth term as Union County Surrogate.

“I intend to seek re-election,” LaCorte told the New Jersey Globe.

Republicans have not won a countywide election in Union County since 1995 and have not won a race for Surrogate since 1978.

LaCorte was elected in 1999 following the death of Ann Conti.  He defeated former Republican freeholder Linda Lee Kelly by a 55%-45% margin

He is the son of the late Nicholas LaCorte, the last Republican mayor of Elizabeth.  He served from 1953 to 1955 and was elected as a Republican to the State Senate in 1967.

In 1977, LaCorte ran for State Assembly in the Elizabeth-based 21st district when Linden mayor John Gregorio gave up his seat to run for the state senate.  The top vote-getter in the Democratic primary was attorney Raymond Lesniak (9,353).  Four-term incumbent Thomas Deverin (D-Carteret) finished second, running 492 votes behind Lesniak and 3,561 votes ahead of LaCorte.

LaCorte was unopposed when he ran in 2014 and won 56% against Republican Arthur Zapolski in 2009.

Conti won the post in a 1982 special election after Republican Surrogate Walter Ulrich resigned to join the Kean administration.  She defeated former freeholder Rose Marie Sinnot by 2,974 votes.