John Markert (politician)

John Markert
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 39th district
In office
January 8, 1980 – January 14, 1986
Preceded byGreta Kiernan
Harold Martin
Succeeded byElizabeth Randall
In office
January 13, 1976 – January 10, 1978
Preceded byHerbert M. Gladstone
Succeeded byGreta Kiernan
Personal details
Born(1929-11-23)November 23, 1929
Union City, New Jersey
DiedJune 2, 2011(2011-06-02) (aged 81)
Hobe Sound, Florida
Political partyRepublican

John Markert (November 23, 1929 – June 2, 2011) was an American Republican Party politician who served as Mayor of Washington Township, Bergen County, New Jersey before being elected to the New Jersey General Assembly, where he served four terms representing the 39th Legislative District.

Born in Union City, Markert graduated from Union Hill High School.[1]

Markert ran a local tavern and won election to the Washington Township Council in 1961, becoming the township's mayor in 1964 on a platform based on paving the many dirt roads in the community.[2]

After Democrat Herbert Gladstone chose not to run for re-election in 1975, Markert ran for and won the open Assembly seat.[3]

With Brendan Byrne at the top of the ticket winning the race for Governor of New Jersey, having defeated 39th district state senator Raymond Garramone in the primary, Frank 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 Markert, who had hoped to pick up Garramone's now open seat.[4]

In the 1979 election, Gerald Cardinale and Markert defeated incumbent Democrat Greta Kiernan, who had herself defeated Markert two years earlier.[5]

Markert moved to Westwood, New Jersey, and later to Point Pleasant, New Jersey.[1]

Markert died of cancer at his Florida home on June 2, 2011. He was survived by his wife Jean and by two daughters.[2]

  1. ^ a b "Obituary: John W. Markert", The Star-Ledger, June 5, 2011. Accessed November 26, 2019 . "John W. Markert, a former mayor and New Jersey state legislator, died June 2, 2011, at his home in Hobe Sound, Fla.... Following a second marriage to Jean Chadwick of Nanuet, N.Y., in 1976, he and his wife moved to Westwood, N.J., where they resided for 20 years until their move to Point Pleasant, N.J.... Born in Union City, N.J., Mr. Markert graduated from Union Hill High School, Union City, and the RCA Institute of Technology in New York City."
  2. ^ a b Clunn, Nick. "Ex-Assemblyman John Markert, 81, served three terms", The Record, June 5, 2011. Accessed June 5, 2011.
  3. ^ Edge, Wally. "Through parts of four decades, ten districts that have never flipped", PolitickerNJ.com, February 18, 2009. Accessed June 5, 2011.
  4. ^ Hanley, Robert. "Democrats in Bergen Support Income Tax", The New York Times, October 13, 1977. Accessed October 27, 2010.
  5. ^ Joseph F. Sullivan. "Jersey Transit Bonds Pass; G.O.P. Gains in Assembly; Imperiale Makes a Comeback Candidates Raised $2 Million", The New York Times, November 7, 1979. Accessed October 27, 2010.