Sheriff Jerry Speziale

Certified police officer in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Former member of the NYPD, Organized Crime Control Bureau, and Federal Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force.

Graduate of the University of Louisville-Southern Police Institute and the FBI Law enforcement Executive Development Academy at Princeton University.

Subject matter expert for the US Department of Justice Special Operations Division on Homeland Security.

Helped reduce the County crime rate by over 30%.

Has confiscated more than $25 million from drug dealers, providing funds for police cars and state-of-the-art homeland security equipment at no cost to taxpayers.

Created an Internet Crime Unit to protect children from sexual predators, resulting in more than 100 arrests.

Has been awarded a Medal of Honor, Medal of Exceptional Merit, six Medals of Meritorious Police Service and five Medals of Excellent Police Duty. Has also received more than 20 awards from various law enforcement agencies.

Speziale resides in Wayne with his wife Maggie and children Francesa, Jerry, and Paige.

Freeholder Pat Lepore

Mayor of West Paterson since 2003, he also served as Mayor from 1997-1999, as well as Councilman from 1995-1996.

Deputy Director of the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Serves as Chairman of the Human Services Committee and a member of the Administration & Finance Committee.

Served on the Passaic County Board of Social Services and Senior Citizens Advisory Council.

Has served on the West Paterson Planning Board, Municipal Alliance, Alfred H. Baumann Library Board, Office of Emergency Management, and Board of Education Bond Referendum Committee.

Former Chairman of the Passaic County Utilities Authority, where he was able to reduce a $100 million debt by one-third, with no cost to county taxpayers.

Member of the IBT Union, Local 802.

Member of the Passaic County 200 Club, and of Passaic County’s Vision 2020, Inc.

Raised in Paterson, Lepore and his wife Linda have lived in West Paterson for 31 years. Their son Robert is a US Marine on active duty in Iraq.

Freeholder Terry Duffy

Elected Freeholder in 2003, he currently serves as Chairman of the Law & Public Safety Committee. Is also a member of the Public Works, Health, Education & Community Affairs, and Economic Development Committees.

Owns and operates Duffy’s Tavern and Duffy’s Riverside Grill in Paterson. Supports other small business owners by participating in various business and trade associations at the local, county and state level.

Served as Regional Director of the New Jersey Licensed Beverage Association.

Paterson PBA Silver Card Holder Award winner.

Charter member of the Paterson Chapter of the Blue Knights Organization.

Served as volunteer Athletic Director and Basketball Coach at Our Lady Queen of Peace in West Milford.

Honored as CYA Coach of the Year. Sponsors Little League teams in Paterson and West Milford.

A lifelong resident of Passaic County, Duffy lives in West Milford with his wife Tara and children Sean, Ryan, Terry, and Erin.

Surrogate Bill Bate

Currently in his fourth term as surrogate, Bate has 47 years of government service.

Executive Board Member of the National College of Probate Judges.

Served four terms in the New Jersey State Assembly, and one term in the State Senate.

Former Passaic County Freeholder Director.

Served as Congressional Assistant to 8th District Congressman Charles S. Joelson.

Served for 22 on the former General Hospital Center at Passaic Hospital Board. Life member of the Clifton Chapter of the Deborah Hospital.

Member of the Passaic County Bar Association, where he served as Law Day Chairman.

Trustee of the St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Clifton.

Member of the Holy Rosary Young Men’s Club and the Clifton Elks Lodge.

Past President of the Old-Timers Association of Greater Paterson. Past President of the Clifton Optimists.

Bate is a life-long resident of Clifton, where he lives with his wife Clara, a native of Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic.