Steven V. Oroho (born July 26, 1958) is an American Republican Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey Senate since January 8, 2008, where he represents the 24th Legislative District.
Oroho announced in 2007 that he would seek the Republican nomination for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Robert Littell. With Littell's endorsement, he ran in a competitive primary against Assemblyman Guy Gregg.[1] Oroho out-raised Gregg during the primary campaign,[1] but both candidates spent about equally.[2] Oroho sought to portray himself as a small-government conservative during the campaign.[2] Oroho won the hard-fought primary and then easily won the general election in the heavily Republican 24th district.
In 2008, he was an early supporter of John McCain for President of the United States.[3]
Oroho opposes same-sex marriage and has called for a public vote in the form of a ballot question to determine whether it should be legalized or banned in New Jersey.[4] He is the primary sponsor of that legislation in the Senate. In June 2009 he was one of seven senators to vote against putting open space bond question on the November ballot.[5]
Oroho serves in the Senate on the Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Economic Growth Committee.[6]
He served on the Franklin Borough Council from 2001 to 2006 and on the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 2005 to 2007.[6]
Oroho graduated with a B.S. degree from Saint Francis University with a major in accounting.[6] He is a resident of Franklin, New Jersey.
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 24th District for the 2010-11 Legislative Session are: