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Armando Fontoura, who was appointed sheriff in 1990 and been elected to 10 terms is not seeking re-election, a spokesperson for the Essex County Sherriff's Office said.
Fontoura is the longest tenured sheriff in Essex County history.
Prior to becoming sheriff, Fontoura was a teacher in the Newark public school system and later a Newark police officer, achieving the rank of captain and serving as chief assistant to the police director. In 1986, Fontoura was appointed Essex County Undersheriff.
As sheriff, Fontoura oversees the Bureau of Narcotics and the Bomb Detection Squad, responding to the North Caldwell bomb attack perpetrated by Theodore Kaczynski a.k.a. The Unabomber and the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill said Essex County is a better place of Fontoura's six decades of public service.
"Sheriff Fontoura has been a cherished stalwart of our community and has helped to keep generations of residents safe," Sherrill said. "It has been a privilege to work alongside Sheriff Fontoura to serve Garden State families and I will miss partnering with him to make life better for families in Essex County."
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