Kevin J. O'Toole

This article is for the American politician. For the Canadian bodybuilder see Kevin O'Toole (bodybuilder). For the song by Street Dogs (about neither of these people), see State of Grace (album).
Kevin J. O'Toole
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 40th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 8, 2008
Preceded by Henry McNamara
Personal details
Born October 5, 1964 (1964-10-05) (age 47)
Nationality American
Political party Republican
Residence Cedar Grove
Alma mater Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University School of Law
Occupation Attorney
Website Legislative webpage

Kevin J. O'Toole (born October 5, 1964) is an American Republican Party politician, who serves in the New Jersey Senate. O'Toole represents the 40th legislative district, which consists of parts of Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties.

O'Toole was elected to the Assembly in 1995 and re-elected five times. He served in the Senate from May 2001 to January 2002, and was elected to the Senate again on November 6, 2007. O'Toole serves in the Senate on the Budget and Appropriations Committee and on the Senate Judiciary Government Committee. He also serves as the Senate Minority Whip.[1] For a few minutes, on January 12, 2010, O'Toole was named temporary President of the New Jersey Senate, by Nia Gill.

Contents

Early life and career

O'Toole was born in Cedar Grove, New Jersey to an Irish American father and Korean mother who met during the Korean War. He graduated from Cedar Grove High School and earned a B.A. in Political Science / Public Administration and a J.D. in 1989 from Seton Hall University. He later passed the bar exam in 1989 and served a clerkship in the office of the State Attorney General.[1][2]

At the age of twenty five, O'Toole began is political career by serving on the Cedar Grove Township Council from 1989 to 1996. He then was elected as its Mayor from 1990 to 1991, 1993 to 1994 and from 1995 to 1996.[1] O'Toole was later elected as Chairman of the Essex County Republican Committee from 1997–present.

In 1995, O'Toole was elected into the General Assembly, the lower house of the New Jersey State Legislature, representing the 21st Legislative District. He was appointed as the Assembly's Deputy Republican Leader from 2004 to 2008 and was the Assistant Majority Leader from 1998 to 2001.[1] O'Toole was briefly appointed to the State Senate in 2001, where he served for eight months before redistricting forced him into a different legislative district.[1]

In 2007, O'Toole defeated Democrat John Zunic to win election to the New Jersey Senate seat in the 40th Legislative District, filling the seat vacated by Henry McNamara, a fellow Republican who had represented the district since 1985. O'Toole's running mates David C. Russo and Scott Rumana also won election.[3]

By profession, O'Toole is an attorney with the firm of O'Toole Fernandez Weiner Vanlieu LLC.[1] Senator O'Toole and his wife, Bethany, have two children, Kevin, Jr., and Ryan Marie.

State legislator

O'Toole has sponsored laws to reform welfare, strengthen domestic violence statutes, increase penalties on businesses and individuals who engage in discrimination, mandate insurance coverage for mammography and for treatment of breast and cervical cancer, preserve the state's drinking water supply through the preservation of Sterling Forest, and create more government transparency.

In the state legislature, O'Toole has been a proponent of ethics reform in New Jersey government. He was the original sponsor of legislation creating pension reform in New Jersey. He has sponsored legislation to streamline government, promote education, protect the environment, and lower property taxes.

O'Toole was one of the primary sponsors of pre-paid college education expense program (529 college savings plan) and legislation that would prohibit campaign contributions from vendors who have government contracts.

District 40

Each of the forty 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 40th District for the 2010-11 Legislative Session are:

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f O'Toole's Legislative Website, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 20, 2008.
  2. ^ Deignan, Tom. "The Asians, the Irish and Sharpton", Irish Voice, June 8, 2007. Accessed July 7, 2008. "For the record, O’Toole’s father was Irish. He fought in the Korean War, and met his future wife in Korea. O’Toole the politician was born in Cedar Grove, New Jersey in 1964, and later attended Cedar Grove High School and Seton Hall University."
  3. ^ "District 40 results", The Record (Bergen County), November 7, 2007. Accessed November 10, 2007.

External links

Members of the New Jersey State Senate
214th Legislature (2010-2012)
President of the Senate: Stephen M. Sweeney (D) • President pro Tempore: Nia Gill (D) • Majority Leader: Barbara Buono (D) • Minority Leader: Thomas Kean, Jr. (R)
   
  1.    Sean T. Kean (R)
  2.    Jennifer Beck (R)
  3.    Joseph M. Kyrillos (R)
  4.    Linda R. Greenstein (D)
  5.    Shirley Turner (D)
  6.    Christopher Bateman (R)
  7.    Bob Smith (D)
  8.    Barbara Buono (D)
  9.    Joseph Vitale (D)
  10.    Raymond Lesniak (D)
  1.    Thomas Kean, Jr. (R)
  2.    Nicholas Scutari (D)
  3.    Michael J. Doherty (R)
  4.    Steve Oroho (R)
  5.    Anthony Bucco (R)
  6.    Joseph Pennacchio (R)
  7.    Richard Codey (D)
  8.    Ronald Rice (D)
  9.    Teresa Ruiz (D)
  10.    Robert Singer (R)
  1.    Sandra Bolden Cunningham (D)
  2.    Nicholas Sacco (D)
  3.    Brian P. Stack (D)
  4.    Nia Gill (D)
  5.    John Girgenti (D)
  6.    Paul Sarlo (D)
  7.    Loretta Weinberg (D)
  8.    Robert M. Gordon (D)
  9.    Gerald Cardinale (R)
  10.    Kevin J. O'Toole (R)
New Jersey Senate
Preceded by
Henry McNamara		 New Jersey State Senator - District 40
2008 - Present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
C. Louis Bassano		 New Jersey State Senator - District 21
2001 - 2002		 Succeeded by
Richard Bagger
New Jersey General Assembly
Preceded by
Nicholas Felice		 New Jersey State Assemblyman - District 40
2002 - 2008		 Succeeded by
Scott Rumana
Preceded by
Maureen Ogden		 New Jersey State Assemblyman - District 21
1996 - 2001		 Succeeded by
Eric Munoz