At the time of his death, he was the second-most senior senator in the state, behind Richard Codey, who also came to office in January 1982, but had served in the General Assembly since 1974.

[2] Before his service as State Senator, Cardinale spent one term in the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature, the General Assembly, from 1980 to 1981.

[2] In 2018, Cardinale sponsored a bill alongside Senators Paul Sarlo, Kristin Corrado, Loretta Weinberg, and Joseph Lagana that would push a special election to the following year if a vacancy for the County Sheriff, Clerk, or Surrogate posts if the vacancy occurs 70 days before election day.

[7] After Cardinale's death in February 2021, Holly Schepisi won a Republican Party special convention over Robert Auth to fill the vacant senate seat and was sworn in on March 25, 2021.

[8] After 5th District Congresswoman Marge Roukema announced her retirement in 2002, she endorsed Cardinale as her successor in the Republican primary.

However, Cardinale finished with 25%, a close third behind State Assemblyman Scott Garrett (the eventual winner, with 45%) and David C. Russo (who received 26% of votes cast).

[13] Cardinale died on the morning of February 20, 2021, at the Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, New Jersey.

During the 2003 general election in New Jersey Democrats gained a majority in the State Senate for the first time since 1992, however Cardinale still won re-election easily.

In 1997 Incumbent Republican Governor Christine Todd Whitman barely squeaked out a re-election win over State Senator and Woodbridge Township Mayor James McGreevey, Cardinale, who at this point was still serving as Deputy Majority Leader under the leadership of Majority Leader John O. Bennett and Senate President Donald DiFrancesco, cruised to re-election.

In 1977 Cardinale ran for General Assembly losing to Incumbent Harold Martin and newcomer Greta Kiernan.