James J. Kennedy

James J. Kennedy (born February 9, 1953) is a Democratic Party politician who is serving as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 22nd Legislative District since January 2016. He previously served as Mayor of Rahway, New Jersey from 1991 through 2010, when he declined to seek a sixth term.

James J. Kennedy
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 22nd District
Incumbent
Assumed office January 12, 2016 Serving with Linda Carter
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(s)	Lori Kennedy
Residence	Rahway, New Jersey
Website	Legislative Website

Early life

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 80s. While serving on the board of trustees for the Rahway YMCA, Kennedy befriended Jim McGreevey, a lawyer then residing in neighboring Woodbridge who would ultimately become New Jersey's governor. After McGreevey became governor, Kennedy joined a 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. Skye Consulting has been hired by local government officials in Burlington, Bound Brook, Mount Laurel, and other New Jersey communities. Kennedy has advocated privatization of municipal assets at the World Water Forum in Mexico City, Istanbul, and Marseille. 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

• Science, Innovation and Technology
• Commerce and Economic Development
• 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 other representatives from the 15th District for the 2018–2019 Legislative Session are:[3][4]

• Senator Nicholas Scutari (D),
• Assemblyman James J. Kennedy (D), and
• Assemblywoman Linda Carter (D)

Electoral History

New Jersey Assembly

New Jersey general election, 2017[5]

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'

New Jersey general election, 2015[6]

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Legislative Roster 2018-2019 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed February 17, 2018.
4. District 22 Legislators, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed February 17, 2018.
5. "2017-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
6. "2015-official-ge-results-nj-general-assembly.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2019.