NJGOP - Key Persons
A lifelong resident of Jackson Township, Alex Sauickie was sworn in as assemblyman in September 2022.
He is a veteran advisor in the global financial technology market and heads wealth management services for Fidelity Information Services Inc., a multinational payment services provider based in Jacksonville, Fla.
He began his career with Merrill Lynch in 1994, where he helped develop the electronic trading platform Merrill Edge, and went on to become chief executive and operating officer of multiple financial software companies. He earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration and marketing in 1993 from Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey).
Previously, he was a Jackson Township councilman from 2019 to 2022, serving as vice president and later president in 2020. He also served seven years as a board member of the Kimball Medical Center Foundation (now Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus), with two years as chairman.
Job Titles:
- Communications Director
- Your NJGOP Staff Member
A lifelong resident of Morris County, Anthony M. Bucco has served in the New Jesey Senate since 2019. He previously served in the General Assembly from 2010 to 2019, including as the Republican conference leader for his final two years.
Bucco earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and managerial economics in 1984 from Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA. He went on to get his law degree from Seton Hall Law School in 1987, and was admitted to the New Jersey bar that same year. He is a partner at the law firm of Murphy McKeon, P.C. specializing in local government law.
He is a founding member of Daytop drug and alcohol center and served on the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse from 1998 to 2009. Bucco has been a commissioner of the Morris County Sheriff's Crime Stoppers program since 1998 and served with the Boonton Volunteer Fire Department since 1980 where he attained the rank of captain.
With six grown children and a grandchild, Bucco and his wife reside in Boonton.
Antwan McClellan has been an assemblyman since 2019, serving as Republican whip since January 2022.
A lifelong resident of Ocean City, he served as councilman from 2012 to 2019, and as a member of the Ocean City Board of Education from 2010 to 2012. Additionally, he serves as a trustee on the Ocean City Historical Museum and volunteers for the South Jersey Field of Dreams, which provides the opportunity for special needs children to participate in sports programs.
A 1993 graduate of Ocean City High School, McClellan attended Virginia State University and Old Dominion University. He works as public information officer and personnel director in the Cape May County Sheriff's Office.
Aura Dunn was appointed to fill the Assembly seat vacated by now-Sen. Anthony Bucco in 2019, and a year later won the special election in the 25th Legislative District.
She joined the Assembly after a 25-year career in government and public affairs. She was the district director for 12-term Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen from 2016 to 2019, a budget analyst on education policy for the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee from 1997 to 2000, and a policy advisor for the House Veterans Affairs Committee. She also lobbied for America's Public Television Stations, Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
One of Dunn's proudest accomplishments from her time on Capitol Hill was her work on the Campus Crime Disclosure Act, better known as the Clery Act. The landmark legislation requires colleges and universities to issue on-campus crime statistics and security information.
Dunn served on the boards of Morris Habitat for Humanity and Morris County Mental Health Addictions Services. She volunteers as a JBWS-certified domestic violence crisis response team member for local police departments. Since 2010, her family has hosted a New York City child each summer through the Fresh Air Fund program.
She earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a master's degree in public administration from George Washington University. Dunn also holds a certificate in mediation.
She lives in Mendham with her husband and their three children.
Job Titles:
- Resident of Woolwich Township
Beth Sawyer was sworn in as assemblywoman in January 2022.
Sawyer is a full-time real estate broker, operating her own firm since 2020. Previously, she was an executive for developer J.P. Orleans in Philadelphia, Pa.
She grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania. Her mother worked for clothing retailer Blair Corporation and her father for the United Refining Company. She moved to Gloucester County in 1993 after attending Penn State University.
Previously she served on the Woolwich Township Joint Land Use Committee from 2018 to 2019. She is a member of the Union League of Philadelphia, established in 1862 to oppose slavery and defend the free enterprise system.
Sawyer is a resident of Woolwich Township, and mother of two grown children.
Bethanne McCarthy Patrick was sworn in as an assemblywoman in January 2022.
McCarthy Patrick owns and runs the Cornerstone Grill Café in Carney's Point with her husband Luke, and works as an EMT for Inspira Health. After 27 years as a firefighter and emergency medical technician, she retired from Pennsville Fire and Rescue, where she currently remains a life member.
Previously, she served on the Mannington Township board of education from 2018 to 2021; and the Salem County Chamber of Commerce board of directors from 2017 to 2018.
Born and raised in Pennsville, McCarthy Patrick lives in Mannington.
Job Titles:
- Business Administrator for Manchester Township
Brandon Umba was sworn in as an assemblyman in January 2022.
Umba is the business administrator for Manchester Township in Ocean County, after previously serving as administrator in West Deptford from 2014 to 2015 and Lumberton Township from 2015 to 2021.
He earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 2008 from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. While earning his degree, he completed internships in Washington working for Republican U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo from 2005 to 2008 and in Dublin, Ireland in 2007 working for Michael D. Higgins - then a member-of-parliament and now president of Ireland.
Umba resides in Medford Township with his fiancé Dana.
Brian Bergen has been a member of the Assembly since January 2020.
A combat veteran, Brian Bergen served with distinction for eight years in the U.S. Army after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point. During his military service, he was an officer, company commander and Apache helicopter pilot - assignments that earned him a Bronze Star and the Combat Action Badge for his actions in Iraq.
In business, Bergen rapidly progressed through a variety of positions in multiple industries, including finance, operations management, process improvement, general management, executive management at the vice president level, and entrepreneurship. He is the owner of Bergen Botanicals, an interior landscape company, and is in the process of purchasing a second business.
He holds a bachelor's degree from West Point, an MBA from Rutgers Business School, and a master's degree in administration of justice and security from the University of Phoenix. He also earned a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certificate in business operations improvement from Villanova University.
Previously he was a Denville Township councilman from 2017 to 2019 and as vice chairman of the zoning board.
He and his wife, Kristin, and their two children, Samantha and Justin reside in Denville.
Brian Rumpf has been an assemblyman since 2003, serving as Republican policy co-chairman since 2014.
Rumpf earned a bachelor's degree in politics from Catholic University of America in 1986 and a law degree from Washington and Lee University Law School in 1989. He and his wife are law partners in Tuckerton. Previously, he was a committeeman in Little Egg Harbor Township from 1997 to 2005, serving as mayor from 2000 to 2003.
Rumpf and his wife reside in Little Egg Harbor and have two children.
Job Titles:
- Vice - President & General Counsel of Porzio Life Sciences
Christopher P. DePhillips was sworn in as an assemblyman in January 2018.
DePhillips earned a bachelor's degree in government from Georgetown University in 1987 and a law degree from Seton Hall University law school in 1992.
He served on the Wyckoff Township Committee from 2010 to 2013, serving as deputy mayor in 2011 and mayor in 2012. DePhillips was a Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority commissioner from 2012 through 2017, and chaired the 40th District Republican County Committee from 2014 to 2019
DePhillips is vice-president & general counsel of Porzio Life Sciences, LLC, a consulting and systems company that assists pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology companies with regulatory and compliance challenges related to sales, marketing and strategic business operations.
He and his wife reside in Wyckoff with their four children.
Christian Barranco was sworn in as assemblyman in January 2022.
Barranco is a journeyman in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 102, joining the local in 2003. He has worked as project manager on many industrial and energy infrastructure projects for McPhee Electric in South Plainfield since 2015 and for Beach Electric Company in Paterson from 2014 to 2015.
Previously, he was a Pompton Lakes Borough councilman from 2017 to 2019.
Since 2018, he has served on the Northern New Jersey Council of the Boy Scouts of America executive board and the New Jersey Organization for Economic Growth board of directors in Morris County.
In 2013, he founded the New Jersey Rough Riders Society, a political action committee to support Republican candidates that operated until 2019 when he founded the Square Deal for NJ weblog on Facebook.
Barranco lives in Jefferson Township with his wife Pauline and their children Natalia, Simone and Emilio.
A life-long resident of Atlantic County, Claire Swift was sworn in as assemblywoman in January 2022.
Swift earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996 and a law degree from Widener University Law School in 1999.
She clerked in Atlantic City for Michael Winkelstein, the assignment judge for Superior Court in Atlantic and Cape May counties, from 1999 to 2000. Following her role as a deputy attorney general from 2000 to 2003, she started a law firm with two of her brothers.
She has been a member of the Atlantic County Bar Association since 2005 and has served on the Committee of Character and Fitness for the state board of Bar Examiners from 2013 to 2016.
An active volunteer in her local community, she has served as a member of the Stockton's Women's Leadership Council since 2019, the Atlantic County Chamber of Commerce since 2018, and the Atlantic County Board of Realtors since 2005.
Swift lives in Margate with her husband, John, and three children, Jack, Anthony and Claire. They reside on the same street where she grew up with her father and seven siblings.
Elected in 1980, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-Hamilton, N.J.) is currently in his 21st two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives, and serves residents of the Fourth Congressional District of New Jersey. In 2019-2020's 116th Congress, Mr. Smith served as a senior member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and is Ranking Member of its Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations Subcommittee. He served as the Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, and Ranking Member of the bipartisan House/Senate/White House Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), serving as chairman twice, and also serves as "Special Representative" on Human Trafficking for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Previously, he served as Co-Chair and highest-ranking House member of the bipartisan House/Senate Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) serving as chairman five times, and served as Chairman of the Veterans Committee (two terms), the Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Operations, and the Subcommittee on Africa. Committee and commission assignments in the 2021-2022's 117th Congress are yet to be finalized.
A lifelong New Jersey resident, Chris Smith was born in Rahway and grew up in Iselin. He lives in Hamilton with his wife Marie. He graduated the College of New Jersey with a degree in business administration and spent a semester abroad at Worcester College in England. Smith was Director of Institutional Sales at his family owned sporting goods company and served as Executive Director of the New Jersey Right to Life Committee.
Senator Declan O'Scanlon was sworn in for his first term in New Jersey Senate in 2018.
He previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2007 to 2017, including as Republican budget officer from 2012 through 2017. O'Scanlon earned dual bachelor's degrees in finance and psychology from Monmouth University in 1986. He owns a telecommunications consulting firm specializing in wireless infrastructure projects and is also president of Love Inc., a faith-based charitable organization. A life-long resident of Little Silver, he previously served as councilman from 1994 to 2007. He and his wife have two children.
DiAnne Gove has been an assemblywoman since 2009, serving as Republican policy co-chairwoman since 2014.
A life-long resident of Long Beach Township, Gove served three terms on the township commission, and was mayor from 2004 to 2008. She was also a commissioner on the Ocean County Utilities Authority from 2000 to 2009.
Gove is a retired teacher who taught American history and civics from 1974 to 2006 at her alma mater, Southern Regional High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in social science from Cabrini College in 1973 and a master's in social studies from Monmouth University in 1980.
Don Guardian was sworn in as assemblyman in January 2022.
Guardian earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1975 from Upsala College in East Orange. His first job after graduation was with the Boy Scouts of America, where he worked until 1980. He was a Claridge Casino Hotel executive from 1991 to 1993 and ran the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority's Special Improvement District from 1992 until 2013. He most recently served as Toms River Township business administrator.
Previously, Guardian was mayor of Atlantic City from 2014 to 2018. In a city with just 10% Republican registration, he became the first Republican mayor in almost 25 years.
He is actively involved in Rotary International, Metropolitan Business and Citizens Association, the Atlantic County Improvement Authority, and the NAACP.
Guardian resides with his husband, Louis Fatato, in Atlantic City.
A lifelong resident of Monmouth County, Edward "Ned" Thomson III has been an assemblyman since 2017, serving as conference leader since January 2022. He was the Republican whip from 2019 to 2021.
A federally approved pension actuary since 1987, Thomson administers more than 500 pension plans working with employers to improve the retirement outcome of workers. He has spent more than two decades as a trustee of the state Public Employees Retirement System since 1995.
Previously, he was a Wall Township committeeman from 1998 to 2008, twice being elected mayor. He served on the Wall Township Planning Board from 1997 to 2007, and was reappointed in 2017. He was also a member of the Board of Adjustment from 1990 to 1997.
A volunteer pilot for Angel Flights, Thomson provides free trips for patients with serious illnesses for treatment at hospitals. He also annually volunteers for the Junior Olympics.
With three grown children, Thomson and his wife have been married for 32 years.
Erik Peterson has been an assemblyman since 2009, and Republican assistant whip since 2014.
Peterson earned a bachelor's degree in business management from North Carolina State University in 1988. He went on to get his law degree from Temple University Law School in 1996, and was admitted to the New Jersey and Pennsylvania state bars that same year. He is an attorney specializing in business transactions, real estate, and trust and estate law.
Previously, he was a Hunterdon County freeholder from 2006 to 2009, serving as deputy director in 2007 and director in 2008.
Peterson and his wife reside in Franklin with their four children.
Erik Simonsen was sworn in as an assemblyman in January 2019.
A life-long resident of Lower Township, he previously served as councilman from 2013 to 2016 and mayor from 2017 to 2018.
Simonsen graduated from the College of New Jersey with a degree in fine arts. After earning a degree in special education from Rutgers University, he attended the University of Scranton where he received a master's in educational administration. He is the athletic director of Lower Cape May Regional High School.
Simonsen has a diverse background beyond elected office. He is a singer, songwriter and front man of the band Twelve:01. Over the years, he has performed with: They Might Be Giants, Nils Lofgren of The E Street Band, Edwin McCain, Jewel, and many more national artists
Simonsen and his wife, Anna, have two daughters.
Gerry Scharfenberger has has been an assemblyman since 2020, serving as Republican policy vice-chairman since March 2022.
In addition to serving as mayor and deputy mayor of Middletown, Scharfenberger served on the Middletown Township Committee for nearly 13 years and the Monmouth County Freeholder board from 2018 to 2019.
At the state level, he was a member of Governor-elect Chris Christie's transition team, the Acting Executive Director of the New Jersey Business Action Center and Director of the Office for Planning Advocacy.
Prior to joining the Christie administration, Scharfenberger had a long career as a professional archaeologist, working mainly in the Northeast and lecturing throughout the United States, Canada and England. He holds a master's degree from Hunter College and received his doctorate in 2005 from the CUNY Graduate Center with a dual focus on historical archaeology and cultural landscape studies. He is currently a member of the adjunct faculty of Monmouth University in West Long Branch.
Gregory McGuckin has been an assemblyman since 2012.
McGuckin earned a bachelor's degree in history from Providence College in 1983 and a law degree from Seton Hall University Law School in 1987. He is a municipal attorney in private practice with more than 28 years serving municipalities as a solicitor, prosecutor and attorney for planning and zoning boards. He was appointed by the state Supreme Court to serve on the district ethics committee for Ocean County and is a board of trustees member for the N.J. Institute of Local Government Attorneys.
Previously, McGuckin was a Toms River councilman from 2004 to 2011, serving as president each year.
A father of three daughters, he and his wife reside in Toms River.
A lifelong resident of Sussex County, Hal Wirths became an assemblyman in January 2018, and budget officer in 2020.
Wirths was the Labor commissioner from 2010 to 2016, reforming the department and returning the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund to solvency. Under his leadership, the department implemented aggressive fraud-fighting efforts, saving taxpayers over $800 million.
Previously, he was a Sussex County freeholder from 2000 to 2010. He owned and managed furniture stores for nearly 20 years, and was a founder of Noble Community Bank, now part of Lakeland Bank.
He resides in Hardyston with his wife and has two adult daughters.
Jay Webber has been an assemblyman since 2008, and appropriations officer since January 2018.
A former college baseball star and academic all-American, he earned a bachelor's degree in international studies from Johns Hopkins University in 1994. He went on to get his law degree from Harvard Law School in 2000, and was clerk for state Supreme Court Justice Peter Verniero from 2000 to 2001. A labor attorney, he has a private firm in Whippany.
Webber was the chairman of the N.J. State Republican Committee from 2009 to 2011, where he led the party to its first statewide victory in 12 years. He is also the founder and host of New Jersey Reagan Day, an annual tribute to the life and leadership of President Ronald Reagan.
He and his wife Johanna have seven children and live in Morris Plains.
Senator Pennacchio was elected to represent the 26th District from the New Jersey State Senate on January 8, 2008 and was re-elected in 2011. Prior to serving in the State Senate, Joe Pennacchio was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly from 2000 to 2008. He has been assigned to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, as well as the Senate Transportation Committee.
The Senator has been on the forefront for Transparency in Government. His efforts helped bring a comprehensive, inclusive website to New Jersey. It shows taxpayers exactly how each and every dollar is being spent in a timely, user friendly easy to use website and ultimately a useful tool in cutting wasteful, questionable spending. His legislation would also bring transparency to all levels of government.
Then Assemblyman, Pennacchio secured 300 acres of the former Greystone tract for Morris County to be used in perpetuity for open space and recreation. As Senator, he successfully lobbied the Christie Administration to commit an additional 100 acres of the former Greystone tract for the same purpose in 2012.
Senator Pennacchio has been recognized as a "Taxpayer Champion" by the New Jersey Taxpayer Alliance receiving a 100% score regarding ten bills that were vital to New Jersey's taxpayer communities. In the past, Americans for Prosperity has also given their coveted "A" rating to State Senator Joe Pennacchio for his efforts on behalf of New Jersey taxpayers. Pennacchio has been recognized as a Guardian of Small Business from 2008-2011 from the New Jersey Federation of Independent Business.
Senator Pennacchio served on the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1998 to 2001, where he served as freeholder liaison to the county administration and finance offices, and was deputy liaison to the County's Department of Human Services. As Freeholder, Pennacchio started the Kids First program in Morris County, which highlights and addresses children's issues. The Senator helped to bolster the Morris County economy by establishing a $75 million economic growth fund for Morris County and worked to secure funding for the Master Plan for the Picatinny Technology Transfer Program.
During his initial tenure in Trenton he worked closely with both the Legislature and Administration in crafting and passing legislation. Much of this legislation was directed at improving the lives of New Jersey's children and protecting open space. Legislation was signed into law which gives the county surrogate the option to deposit minors' funds in any federally insured bank within the United States, allowing them to earn a higher rate of interest, and legislation establishing court awarded kinship legal guardianship status, making it easier for family members to become legal guardians of children, which has become a national model.
Senator Pennacchio is a former member of Governor DiFrancesco's New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the Montville Economic Development Council. He is also a founder and former member of the Montville Education Foundation. The Senator and his wife Diane live in Rockaway Township.
John Catalano, a former Brick councilman, was sworn into the assembly in January 2020.
A small business owner for more than 30 years, he owns and operates Country Store Jewelers in Brick.
He served as Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority commissioner and chairman of the planning board.
Catalano has a bachelor's degree from Midwestern University.
John DiMaio has been an assemblyman since 2009, serving as minority leader since January 2022. Previously he was co-conference leader from 2019 to 2021 and budget officer from 2018 to 2019.
First elected to public office at age 23, DiMaio was a Hackettstown councilman from 1980 to 1990, mayor from 1991 to 1999, and president of the N.J. Conference of Mayors in 1999. He was also a Warren County freeholder from 2000 to 2009, serving as director twice. He is also the owner of A. DiMaio and Son Inc., a general contracting business.
A life-long resident of Hackettstown, DiMaio and his wife have two daughters.
Jon M. Bramnick is serving his fifth term in the New Jersey General Assembly representing Union, Somerset and Morris Counties in the 21st District. Bramnick was elected by his colleagues in January 2012 to serve as the Assembly Minority Leader, making him the highest-ranking member of the Republican Caucus in the Assembly. He previously served as Conference Leader, Republican Whip, and chairman of the Assembly Republican Policy Committee. He also served as a ranking member on the Law and Public Safety and Consumer Affairs Committees and as a member of the State House Commission and the Bipartisan Leadership Committee.
Bramnick grew up in Plainfield and graduated from Plainfield High School. His parents owned Lazaar's Stationers, their family business in Plainfield, for over 50 years. From 1984 to 1991, he served on the Plainfield City Council. He was an assistant professor of business law at Rider University from 1984 to 1989 and an adjunct professor of business law at Rutgers University from 1989 to 1990, where he won the "Inspirational Professor of the Year" Award.
Bramnick holds the title "Funniest Lawyer in New Jersey" after winning contests sponsored by the bar association at Rascals Comedy Club. He often volunteers his services as a comedic auctioneer on behalf of non-profit organizations.
Bramnick has been honored with the 2011 Legislator of the Year award from the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, the 2011 Law and Justice Distinguished Achievement Award from Rider University, the Outstanding Legislator of the Year award from the NJ Society for Environmental & Economic Development, the Legislator of the Year award from the Food Council Committee for Good Government, the 2010 Government Leadership Award from the Advocates for New Jersey History, the 2009 Spirit of the YMCA Award, and the "Guardian of Small Business" Award from the National Federation of Independent Businesses. He was inducted into the Plainfield High School Hall of Fame's Class of 2011.
Bramnick is a partner in the law firm of Bramnick, Rodriguez, Mitterhoff, Grabas & Woodruff, based in Scotch Plains. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1978 and the New Jersey Bar in 1984. He is a certified civil trial attorney and a frequent lecturer for both the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education and the American Association for Justice. In 2001, he served as President of the Richard J. Hughes Inns of Court, an association of professional attorneys dedicated to teaching young attorneys. In 2007, he was named the "Professional Attorney of the Year" by the Union County Bar Association.
Bramnick holds a B.A. in political science from Syracuse University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He also holds a J.D. from Hofstra University's School of Law. He resides in Westfield with his wife Patricia and has two grown children, Brent and Abigail.
Kevin Rooney has been an assemblyman since December 2016.
He is a partner in a real estate management and development company and had a 30-year career in arboriculture. He and his wife also own Holland Hills Farm, an equestrian business located in the North Jersey Equestrian Center in Pequannock. A self-taught home cook, he was the champion on Food Network's cooking competition show Chopped in 2013.
Previously, Rooney was a Wyckoff Township committeeman from 2010 to 2016, serving as deputy mayor in 2010 and 2014 and mayor in 2011, 2015 and 2016. He also served on the zoning board from 1999 to 2009.
A lifelong Bergen County resident, Rooney and his wife live in Wyckoff and have four children and three grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Your NJGOP Staff Member
- Political Director
Job Titles:
- Your NJGOP Staff Member
- Finance & Events Director
Job Titles:
- Board President of the Vineland Regional Dance
Senator Testa is a graduate of Villanova University School of Law and received his Masters at Temple University Beasley School of Law. He and his wife Julie live in Vineland with their three children, Eva Marie, Sarah, and Tripp.
At 26, Senator Testa was the Board Chairman of the Vineland Downtown Improvement District/Main Street Vineland. He is a proud member of the Greater Vineland Chapter of the NAACP, and Past Chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland and Salem Counties.
Senator Testa has been the Board President of the Vineland Regional Dance company for several years, and was the 2016 recipient of the South Jersey Cultural Alliance Paul Aiken Encore Award for his dedication to the arts in South Jersey.
In 2019, Senator Testa was elected to the New Jersey State Senate to represent the First Legislative District.
Job Titles:
- Owner of Torrissi Transport
Torrissi is the owner of Torrissi Transport, a fuel trucking company based in Vineland with more than 400 trucks and locations across the east coast. He earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1996 from Rutgers University-Camden.
Job Titles:
- Member of the New Jersey Republican State Committee
- National Committeeman
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the New Jersey Republican State Committee
- State Chairman
- State Chairman, New Jersey Republican State Committee
Bob Hugin was elected Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee on June 23, 2021.
Mr. Hugin chaired the board of the Garden State Initiative, a nonpartisan research and educational organization which focuses on economic issues in New Jersey. Bob also serves as the Chair of The Darden School Foundation, University of Virginia. He is a longstanding member of the Board of Trustees of Family Promise, a national non-profit network assisting homeless families. He is also a director of Chubb Limited and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.
Mr. Hugin received an AB degree from Princeton University in 1976 and an MBA from the University of Virginia in 1985 and served as a United States Marine Corps infantry officer during the intervening period. Bob and his wife Kathy have three children and live in Summit, New Jersey.
Job Titles:
- Commissioner
- Committeeman
- Treasurer of the New Jersey Republican State Committee
- Treasurer, New Jersey Republican State Committee
Shaun Van Doren was elected Treasurer of the NJGOP on June 23, 2021.
Shaun was elected to the Hunterdon County Board of Commissioners (then the Board of Chosen Freeholders) in 2018, after serving the township of Tewksbury for 20 years as Mayor and Committeeman.
As an eighth generation resident of Tewksbury, Mr. Van Doren has served in a number of leadership positions for the betterment of his town and his community, including the Historical Society, where he currently serves as President.
Shaun is a graduate of The College of New Jersey (then Trenton State) and received his Masters of Science in Project Management from the Stevens Institute of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Member of the New Jersey Republican State Committee
- President of the Monmouth County S.P.C.a
- Strategic Advisor to the Chairman
- Strategic Advisor to the Chairman, New Jersey Republican State Committee
Christine Giordano Hanlon, Esq. was elected as Monmouth County Clerk in November 2015 and was re-elected to a second term in November 2020. Prior to being elected as County Clerk, Christine was Of Counsel to the law firm of Archer & Greiner, PC. She practiced law for over 20 years and is also a former Commissioner on the Monmouth County Board of Elections.
Christine has overseen numerous political campaigns and grass roots initiatives over the past 13 years. She is currently Co-Chair of the Monmouth County Republican Organization and the former NJGOP State Committeewoman for Monmouth County. She has educated countless candidates as well as mentored many young people interested in careers in politics. She is an annual guest speaker on "Navigating the Political Process in New Jersey" at the Ready to Run Program sponsored by the Eagleton Institute Center for American Women in Politics to prepare and encourage women to run for office.
Christine received her law degree from Fordham University in 1992, following her graduation from Barnard College, Columbia University. After graduation from law school, she was Law Clerk to the Honorable A. Simon Chrein, Chief United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York, then served as an Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County, New York.
Ms. Hanlon currently serves as President of the Monmouth County S.P.C.A. and Vice President of the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey (COANJ). She is also the Immediate Past President of the Monmouth Bar Association, a Trustee for the Monmouth Bar Foundation and Monmouth Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Christine is the recipient of the 2020 "Woman of Distinction Award" from the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore, the 2020 "Women in American History" Award from the New Jersey State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NJDAR), the 2019 "Silver Gull Award for Government Leadership" from the Monmouth-Ocean Development Council, the 2018 "Person of the Year Award" from the Monmouth County Fraternal Order of Police, Superior Officer's Lodge #30, and the 2017 "Spinnaker Award for Public Service" from the Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce.
Christine is also a former President of the Greater Ocean Twp. Chamber of Commerce and received the "Outstanding Chamber Service Award" from that organization. She served on the Ocean Twp. Human Services Alliance Council as well as the Ocean Twp. Community Emergency Response Team. She is also a former Arbitrator for the State of New Jersey District Fee Arbitration Committee.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chairwoman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee
Job Titles:
- Secretary of the New Jersey Republican State Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the New Jersey Republican State Committee
- Committeewoman Commissioner
A resident of Summit, Nancy Munoz has been an assemblywoman since 2009, serving as deputy minority leader since January 2022. She was the conference leader from 2019 to 2021 and Republican whip from 2017 to 2018.
One of the Assembly's most knowledgeable members on health care, Munoz has vast experience working in some of the nation's best hospitals. During her more than 35-year nursing career, she practiced surgical intensive care at Yale-New Haven Hospital; at Massachusetts General in Boston, which is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School; and Memorial-Sloan Kettering in New York City - the second best cancer treatment center in the nation. She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from Skidmore College in 1976 and a master's from Hunter College in 1983 as a clinical nurse specialist.
A mother of five children, she was president of the Summit PTA for elementary, middle and high school, and on the board of the former preschool at St. John's Lutheran Church serving low-income children.
Robert Clifton has been an assemblyman since 2012.
Clifton earned a bachelor's degree from Rider College in 1991 and a master's from the University of Richmond in 1998, both in political science. He has worked as the director of government and community affairs for Comcast Cable Corporation since 2001. Previously, he was director of industry relations for the N.J. Pavement and Asphalt Association and worked for the state Department of Labor. He was a Monmouth County freeholder from 2005 to 2011, serving as director in 2011, and mayor of Matawan from 1996 to 2005.
A life-long resident of Matawan, Clifton and his wife have two sons.
Robert Auth has been a member of the Assembly since 2014.
A 30-year professional of insurance policy and regulations, Auth founded a small business in 1985 as an insurance broker. Previously, he was the agency manager at the Motor Vehicle Commission office in North Bergen and a school teacher for the North Bergen School District from 2004 to 2006. He earned a bachelor's degree in history and philosophy from New York University in 2001.
Auth and his wife have one grown son and reside in Old Tappan.
Sean Kean has served in the state Legislature since 2002. Prior to redistricting, he represented the 11th Legislative district in the state Senate from 2008 to 2012, which he also represented in the Assembly from 2002 to 2008.
Kean earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Seton Hall University in 1988 and a master's degree in American studies from Columbia University in 1992. He went on to get his law degree from Seton Hall Law School in in 1995. He is a municipal attorney and prosecutor, working with the Matawan law firm Cleary, Giacobbe, Alfieri and Jacobs.
Previously, Kean served on the Monmouth County Environmental Council from 1999 to 2001 and Wall Township's planning board from 2001 to 2002.
A father of triplets, he and his wife reside in Wall.
Senator Christopher J. Connors was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey on June 26, 1956. He graduated from Southern Regional High School and attended Stockton State College, where he graduated with honors in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Rutgers University Graduate School of Public Administration in Newark in 1988. Senator Connors received a Juris Doctor Degree from Rutgers University School of Law at Camden in 1995 and was the recipient of the American Bar Association's Award for Excellence in Municipal Law.
He was elected to the Lacey Township Committee in 1984 and served as Mayor from 1986 to 1990. He was the Republican Municipal Chairman from 1986 to 1990. He served on the Republican County Committee in 1984 and 1985. From 1982 to 1988, Senator Connors was Deputy Director of the New Jersey Commission on Capital Budgeting and Planning and served as its Director during 1988 and 1989. The Commission is responsible for the preparation of the annual capital budget for the State of New Jersey, coordinating the long-range capital expenditure plans for the State, evaluating and analyzing capital requests for all Departments, monitoring capital spending of all State Agencies and evaluating the impact of capital spending on future State budgets.
Senator Connors was selected by the Republican County Committee members and was sworn to the General Assembly on September 28, 1989. He was elected to his first full term in the Assembly in November, 1989, and was reelected in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005. He was elected to the Senate in 2007 and was reelected in 2011 and 2013.
While serving in the Assembly, he was the ranking member of both the Assembly Judiciary and Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committees. He served as Assistant Majority Leader from 1992 to 1995. Senator Connors is currently a member of the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee and the Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee.
He received the 1996 Public Service Award from the Ladies Auxiliary of the Retired Police and Firemen's Association of Ocean County Local No. 8, was named Honorary Lifetime Member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Retired Police and Firemen's Association of Ocean County Local No. 8, was named 1999 "Citizen of the Year" by the Bayville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9503, was named 2000 Legislator of the Year by VFW Post 6063, received the 2000 Distinguished Service Award from the State VFW Commander, received the Legislative Achievement Award for 2001 from the State Retired Police and Firemen's Association, served as the Legislator-In-Residence at Richard Stockton College for the Spring 2012 Semester, was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Department of New Jersey for 2012, received the 2013 Robert B. Meyner Award from the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA), was the recipient of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors "Legislator of the Year" award in 2013, was selected as a honoree by the Business and Professional Women of New Jersey Foundation (BFWNJ) Southern Ocean County organization during its 16th Annual "Women Helping Women" Award Dinner and was named "Legislator of the Year" by the New Jersey Apartment Association (NJAA) in 2014.
Senator Connors is an attorney with the law firm of Dasti, Murphy, McGuckin, Ulaky, Koutsouris & Connors. The Senator and his wife, Deborah, were married in 1979. They have two children, Christopher, Jr., born in 1982 and Kelly, born in 1987.
Senator James W. Holzapfel was raised in Point Pleasant, where he graduated from high school in 1962. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Monmouth College in 1966 and a Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1969.
After graduating law school, Jim was admitted to practice law before the United State Supreme Court, the New Jersey Supreme Court and the Florida Supreme Court. He served as the Ocean County Prosecutor from 1987 to 1992, and is currently Senior Partner of Citta, Holzapfel, Zabarsky, Attorneys at Law, in Toms River, New Jersey.
He was first elected to the New Jersey Legislature in 1994 as an Assemblyman for the 10th Legislative District. He is a former Chairman of the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee.
While serving as a member of the General Asssembly, he held a number of leadership roles, including service as Assistant Majority Whip from 1998-2000 and as a Deputy Republican Leader from 2002-2003. Jim is also a past chairman of the Joint Committee on Ethical Standards and was a Chairman of the Governor's Study Commission on Parole from 1995-1996.
In November of 2011, Jim was elected to the New Jersey Senate. He was sworn-in as as the Senator for the 10th Legislative District on January 10, 2012.
Jim has served on and participated in organizations and groups including the Law Enforcement Study Commission, the NJ Supreme Court Committee on Municipal Courts, National District Attorneys Association, and Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
Senator Holzapfel lives in Toms River with his wife Joyce.
Senator Michael J. Doherty is serving in his first term in the New Jersey State Senate as a representative of the 23rd Legislative District. On November 3, 2009, he was elected by the voters of the 23rd Legislative District to complete the four year term of Leonard Lance, who was elected to the United States Congress in 2008. Senator Doherty is a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, and the Labor Committee. Before entering the Senate, he served four terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he sat on various committees including the Appropriations Committee, the Labor Committee, the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, and the Housing and Local Government Committee. Senator Doherty was also a member of the State House Commission, the Teen Driver Study Commission, and the 9-1-1 Commission. In 2008, he served as Chairman of the Republican Assembly Task Force on Fiscal Accountability, which opposed Governor Corzine's attempt to sell New Jersey's toll roads to a private consortium.
Senator Doherty was the prime sponsor of a Constitutional Amendment to require voter approval on State contract bonding and the prime sponsor of a college credit transfer bill that provides for a seamless transfer of credits from New Jersey's county colleges to its four year institutions. In 2008 and 2009, Senator Doherty led the fight to stop the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's attempt to eliminate the use of outdoor wood burning boiler units. He strongly opposes low-income housing mandates under COAH, as well as the Highlands Council. One of Doherty's primary goals as a member of the Senate is to end the Highlands Council.
Based upon his record as a legislator, Doherty has been endorsed repeatedly by pro-business groups such as the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, the New Jersey Restaurant Association and the National Federation of Independent Business. He was awarded a perfect 100% voting record by the NFIB. His voting record is ranked A+ by the National Rifle Association, and has always been endorsed by New Jersey Right to Life. Doherty is an outspoken critic of judicial activism, and has introduced numerous pieces of legislation challenging court decisions and procedures. He was designated as "Legislator of the Year" in 2007 by the New Jersey Family Policy Council for his continued efforts to support pro-family legislation.
Before being elected to the General Assembly, Doherty served on the Warren County Board of Chosen Freeholders. In 2000, Doherty defeated the incumbent Freeholder Director, a Democrat, to capture control of the Freeholder Board for the Republican Party. In 2001, he served as Deputy Director of the Freeholder Board. He was elected to serve as the Director of the Freeholder Board in both 2002 and 2003. During his three years on the Freeholder Board, Doherty cut the county tax rate by 21\%. Doherty also began a program to reduce the county debt so that today Warren County has the lowest debt of any county in the state. He also prevailed in a showdown with a Superior Court judge who threatened to jail Doherty unless he issued $5 million in bonds to fund an expansion of the local county college. The showdown was eventually decided by the New Jersey Supreme Court, which sided with Doherty and held that the Freeholder Board was correct to ignore the judge's order.
Mike Doherty was born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey on May 24, 1963. Doherty grew up in Glen Ridge, New Jersey and graduated from Glen Ridge High School in 1981. In 1985, Doherty graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and was commissioned as an officer in the Field Artillery. Doherty served on active duty in the United States Army from 1985 to 1989 and in the United States Army Reserve from 1989 to 1993. He achieved the rank of Captain. In the Army, he was stationed in Germany and served as a nuclear operations officer. His unit's mission was to utilize nuclear armed missiles to defend Western Europe and NATO forces from possible Soviet aggression. He was granted a Top Secret clearance to perform his nuclear duties. Doherty is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne School, the U.S. Army Jungle School and the Defense Language Institute (German).
In 1993, Mike was awarded a Juris Doctorate degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. Doherty is a registered patent attorney, and is the owner of an intellectual property law firm based in Washington, New Jersey.
Mike Doherty and his wife, Linda, reside in Washington Township, Warren County. Mike and Linda have three sons serving on active duty in the military. Their oldest son, Matthew, serves in the United States Army, their second son, Ryan, serves in the United States Marine Corps, and their youngest son, Jared, serves in the United States Air Force. Mike and Linda also have a dog, Murphy.
Senator Robert W. Singer represents the 30th District in the New Jersey State Legislature. The newly configured 30th District, resulting from the state's redistricting, is comprised of parts of Ocean and Monmouth Counties.
Senator Singer is in his twenty-seventh year in the New Jersey State Legislature, and presently serves as Republican Conference Leader in the New Jersey Senate.
Senator Singer was also a member of the bipartisan Aviation Caucus.
Additionally, Senator Singer was designated Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America National Legislative Officer for 2011-2012.
In addition to his duties in the Senate, the legislator served as a member of the Lakewood Township Committee for thirty years, retiring in 2010.
Furthermore, Senator Singer's civic affiliations include Chairman of the Lakewood Municipal Utility Authority, Vice- Chairman of the Ocean County Board of Health and a Member of the Board of Directors of the Monmouth-Ocean Development Council.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Your NJGOP Staff Member
Flynn earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1996 from Rutgers University and went on to get her law degree from Seton Hall Law School in 1999. Justice Jaynee LaVecchia selected Flynn to serve as her first law clerk after her appointment to the state Supreme Court. Following her clerkship, Flynn went on to work for law firm of DeCotiis, FitzPatrick & Cole for 16 years. She was a partner at Gluck Walrath and Hill Wallack. Upon joining the Legislature, she started her own firm in Homdel.
Previously, she served on the Holmdel board of education from 2016 to 2021, serving her final four years as president; and on the Nutley board of education from 2011 to 2013, serving her final year as vice president.
Since 2018, she has served on the board of directors of the Holmdel Theater Company.
Flynn resides in Holmdel with her husband Mike Naughton and daughters Grace, Kate and Shannon.