The Ballot Brief
Bergen County, New Jersey

Bergen County Surrogate

Schwager and Conte are on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Names follow official Bergen County election filings.

About this race

Open seat following the December 2025 death of longtime Democratic incumbent Michael Dressler, per New Jersey Globe. Republican Joseph S. Conte won the June 2, 2026 primary over Daniel Ng, 10,870 votes to 3,431, per New Jersey Globe; Democrat Linda H. Schwager was unopposed in her primary.

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New Jersey › Bergen County › Bergen County Surrogate

Linda H. Schwager

Democratic

Biography

Linda H. Schwager is a former three-term mayor of Oakland, New Jersey, and a former president of the Bergen County Bar Association, per the New Jersey Globe. She is listed as a court-approved mediator for family law economic matters, per the New Jersey Courts website. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.

Joseph S. Conte

Joseph S. Conte

Republican

Top priorities

From the campaign site

  • Handle estate, guardianship and probate matters with consistent fairness drawn from two decades on the bench
  • Provide compassionate, patient service to families and seniors navigating the Surrogate's Court, including multilingual outreach
Biography

Conte is a retired New Jersey Superior Court judge who served 20 years on the bench in the Criminal and Civil divisions and sat as a municipal court judge in five Bergen County towns, per his campaign site. He was elected to the Franklin Lakes Borough Council in 2025 and teaches Criminal Law as an adjunct professor at Bergen Community College, per the same source.

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Questions about this race

Who is running for Bergen County Surrogate in 2026?

2 candidates are tracked for Bergen County Surrogate on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Linda H. Schwager and Joseph S. Conte. Candidate information follows official Bergen County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Bergen County Surrogate election in New Jersey?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for New Jersey are on the New Jersey election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Bergen County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Bergen County and state election office filings, last verified October 16, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official New Jersey election office, or see the full Bergen County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Bergen County ballot

4 tracked races in Bergen County, New Jersey. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot
Bergen County ExecutiveBergen County ClerkSee all 4 Bergen County races
Candidate profiles
Linda H. Schwager, full profileJoseph S. Conte, full profileOfficial New Jersey election office