January, 2021, Merkt joined the founding Board of the Monadnock Freedom to Learn Coalition, the sponsoring organization for Lionheart Classical Academy, a tuition-free public school chartered by the NH State Board of Education in November 2021 and scheduled to open in Peterborough, NH, in September 2022. He currently serves as Secretary of the Coalition and has also been appointed to the Board of Trustees for the new academy. 2009 gubernatorial campaign On October 22, 2008, Rick Merkt declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey. However, he was unable to meet the fundraising thresholds necessary to appear in the state-sponsored televised debates before the primary. Thus the primary was in effect a contest between former United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey Chris Christie and former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan. Merkt did appear along with his two rivals in two privately sponsored radio debates before the primary, however. While Merkt received about 3% of the vote in the primary, Christie received the gubernatorial nomination. Merkt retired from the Assembly in January 2010 when his sixth term expired. References External links Assemblyman Merkt's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms 2007 2006 2005 2004 Assembly Member Richard A. 'Rick' Merkt, Project Vote Smart New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003 Rick Merkt for Governor 1949 births Living people Fordham University School of Law alumni New Hampshire Republicans New Jersey city council members Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly People from Mendham Township, New Jersey Politicians from Morris County, New Jersey University of Pennsylvania alumni Yale University alumni 21st-century American politicians