James J. Kennedy | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 22nd District | |
| Assumed office January 12, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Linda Stender |
| Mayor of Rahway, New Jersey | |
| In office January 1, 1991 – December 31, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Daniel Martin |
| Succeeded by | Richard B. Proctor |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 9, 1953 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lori Kennedy |
| Residence(s) | Rahway, New Jersey |
| Website | Legislative Website |
James J. Kennedy (born February 9, 1953) is a Democratic Party politician who has represented the 22nd Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since taking office in January 2016. He served as Mayor of Rahway, New Jersey from 1991 through 2010, when he declined to seek a sixth term.
Career
Kennedy won his first nomination in the 1990 Democratic primary election, when he contested the re-election for Daniel Martin, who at the time had been mayor for 20 years. Kennedy owns a local store, Kennedy Jewelers, that was adversely affected by the decline of the city's downtown area during the 1970s and 1980s, and he was president of the Rahway Chamber of Commerce during the later 1980s. While serving on the board of trustees for the Rahway YMCA, Kennedy befriended Jim McGreevey, a lawyer then residing in neighboring Woodbridge Township who would ultimately become Governor of New Jersey. After McGreevey became governor, Kennedy joined State Street Partners, a Trenton lobbying firm founded by Rocco F. Iossa, a former aide to Republican Congressman Dennis Gallo and counselor to GOP Governor Christine Todd Whitman. After McGreevey, resigned Kennedy started a business, Skye Consulting L.L.C., which has assisted local governments, redevelopment contractors and a foreign-owned water treatment and waste management utility company.
Kennedy and his wife, Lori, a kindergarten teacher who retired in June 2011, have one son, Sean, who operates the jewelry store on a day-to-day basis. The couple previously had another child, who died when he was two years old.
New Jersey Assembly
Following the retirement of incumbent Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Stender in 2015, Kennedy was chosen by the local Democratic County Committees over Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr to succeed Stender.[1] He won the general election alongside incumbent Jerry Green that November.[2]
Committees
For the 2020–2021 Legislative Session, Kennedy served on the following committees:[3]
- Environment and Solid Waste (as Chair)
- Tourism, Gaming and the Arts (as Vice Chair)
- Transportation and Independent Authorities
District 22
Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The representatives from the 22nd District for the 2022—23 Legislative Session are:[4]
- Senator Nicholas Scutari (D)
- Assemblywoman Linda S. Carter (D)
- Assemblyman James J. Kennedy (D)
Electoral history
New Jersey Assembly
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James J. Kennedy (Incumbent) | 27,763 | 32.6 |  2.1 | |
| Democratic | Jerry Green (Incumbent) | 27,284 | 32.1 | 2.4 | |
| Republican | Richard S. Fortunato | 14,631 | 17.2 |  3.2 | |
| Republican | John Quattrocchi | 13,682 | 16.1 | 3.3 | |
| Total votes | '85,120' | '100.0' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | James J. Kennedy (Incumbent) | 12,087 | 30.5 | 2.2 | |
| Democratic | Jerry Green (Incumbent) | 11,769 | 29.7 | 1.5 | |
| Republican | William “Bo” Vastine | 8,076 | 20.4 | 2.5 | |
| Republican | William H. Michelson | 7,666 | 19.4 | 1.2 | |
| Total votes | '39,598' | '100.0' | |||
References
- ↑ Haydon, Tom (March 5, 2015). "Former Rahway mayor picked to run for Assemblywoman Stender's seat". NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
- ↑ Johnson, Brent (November 3, 2015). "Elections 2015: Democrats keep hold of Assembly's 22nd District". NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
- ↑ Assemblyman James J. Kennedy (D), New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 24, 2022.
- ↑ Legislative Roster for District 22, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 11, 2022.
- ↑ "2017-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- ↑ "2015-official-ge-results-nj-general-assembly.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 30, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2019.