Essex and Passaic County Sheriffs Endorse Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill

West Caldwell, NJ — Essex County Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura and Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik announced today their endorsement of Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill in her bid for re-election.

“I’ve known Congresswoman Sherrill for many years and I know from experience her strength as a leader. As a former federal prosecutor, she understands justice and what it means to serve our communities,” said Essex County Sheriff Fontoura. “She believes we need to properly fund our law enforcement so that we can carry out the many responsibilities asked of us.”

“When Mikie was an Assistant U.S. Attorney here in New Jersey, she worked closely with me and other officers in Passaic County to get illegal guns and drugs out of our communities. In Washington, she has worked hard on Covid-19 related efforts, that has helped our first responders and healthcare professionals as they continue to treat patients through this serious public health crisis,” said Passaic County Sheriff Berdnik.

“I am honored to receive Sheriff Fontoura and Sheriff Berdnik’s endorsements. Both Sheriffs have dedicated their lives to public service, protecting their counties and upholding the law. As a federal prosecutor, I’ve admired the leadership of both Sheriffs Fontoura and Berdnik throughout Essex and Passaic counties and I am thankful for their support,” said Congresswoman Sherrill.

Congresswoman Sherrill previously served at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark as a federal prosecutor and an outreach and reentry coordinator. She worked with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to improve community relations with the police, keep illegal guns off the streets, and address the opioid epidemic. This announcement follows Sherrill’s endorsement from the New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police.

Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura is a career law enforcement officer who was first elected Essex County Sheriff in 1990. Fontoura leads the largest and most active Sheriff’s Department in New Jersey. He oversees the busiest and most active Bomb Detection Squads in the region and was appointed in 2007 to the New Jersey Campus Security Task Force to help prevent gun violence on our college campuses. Fontoura is a resident of Fairfield, New Jersey.

Sheriff Richard Berdnik serves as Passaic County Sheriff. Berdnik proudly served 28 honorable years on the Clifton Police Force before becoming Sheriff. As Sheriff, Berdnik modernized the police department through the addition of dashboard cameras in vehicles, new surveillance equipment, robots, and a drone squad. Throughout his career as a police officer, he has received multiple citations for exceptional service.