James J. Kennedy Explained

James J. Kennedy
Office1:Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 22nd District
Term Start1:January 12, 2016
Alongside1:Linda Carter
Predecessor1:Linda Stender
Office2:Mayor of Rahway, New Jersey
Term Start2:January 1, 1991
Term End2:December 31, 2010
Predecessor2:Daniel Martin
Successor2:Richard B. Proctor
Party:Democrat
Birth Date:February 9, 1953
Spouse:Lori Kennedy
Residence: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 General 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

Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[3]

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.[4] The representatives from the 22nd District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[5]

(D) (D) (D)

Electoral history

New Jersey Assembly

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Former Rahway mayor picked to run for Assemblywoman Stender's seat . March 5, 2015 . Haydon, Tom . . January 16, 2016.
  2. News: Elections 2015: Democrats keep hold of Assembly's 22nd District . Johnson, Brent . NJ Advance Media for NJ.com . November 3, 2015 . January 16, 2016.
  3. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/381/assemblyman-kennedy Assemblyman James J. Kennedy (D)
  4. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/constitution New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II
  5. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster?district=22 Legislative Roster for District 22