Christopher E. Hudak was elected Union County Surrogate in November 2022, becoming the 16th person to hold the office. He previously served four terms as a Union County Freeholder and Commissioner.
Established by the New Jersey Constitution, the County Surrogate is an elected official who serves a five-year term. The Surrogate serves as Judge of the Surrogate’s Court and Deputy Clerk to the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Probate Part and Family Part. Hudak oversees the probate of wills, qualification of executors, appointment of administrators for estates without wills, qualification of guardians for minors and incapacitated persons, and certain adoption matters. He also administers the Surrogate’s Intermingled Trust Fund for Minors.
In 2025, Hudak was appointed to the Judiciary-Surrogates Liaison Committee, composed of five Superior Court judges and five county Surrogates, to improve practices and procedures in estate, guardianship, and adoption matters. He currently serves as Surrogate Section Chief for the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey (COANJ).
During his tenure as a County Freeholder and Commissioner, Hudak championed infrastructure improvements, education, parks and recreation, substance abuse treatment, and gun safety. He established the Union County Infrastructure Grant program, advanced STEM education initiatives, and supported investments in County parks. As Board Chair and Fiscal Chair, he focused on fiscal responsibility, essential services, and public safety while helping maintain the County’s AAA bond rating.
Hudak is a licensed attorney and a member of the National Association of Counties Large Urban County Caucus. He previously served on the New Jersey State Democratic Committee, chaired the Linden Democratic Committee, and was a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention. He is a member of the Linden Knights of Columbus, a parishioner at St. John’s Church in Clark, and an Eagle Scout.
Hudak graduated from Roselle Catholic High School and Rutgers University, earned a Master of Public Administration from Kean University, and received his Juris Doctor from Rutgers. He lives in Clark with his wife, Terri, and their children, Catherine and Jackson.
