Thomas P. Giblin (born January 15, 1947) is an American Democratic Party politician, who serves in the New Jersey General Assembly where he represents the 34th legislative district, having taken office on January 10, 2006. His father, John Giblin, a labor leader, served as a New Jersey state senator and as an Essex County freeholder.
Giblin lost his first campaign for public office, a bid for the Assembly in 1973. His Republican opponents were Thomas H. Kean and Jane Burgio.
Giblin was elected to the Assembly on November 8, 2005, filling the seat of fellow Democrat Peter C. Eagler, who had held the seat in the Assembly since 2002 and was knocked off the legislative slate.[1]
Giblin serves in the Assembly on the Regulated Professions Committee (as Vice-Chair), the Higher Education Committee and the Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee.[2]
Giblin is a Democratic Party leader and a longtime union leader in New Jersey. He previously served as a member of the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1982-1990 and from 1977-1978, and as the Essex County Surrogate from 1990-1993. He was a longtime chairman of the Essex County Democratic Committee and served four years as chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. He ran unsuccessfully for County Executive of Essex County in 1994 and 2002. Giblin served on the New Jersey Real Estate Commission from 1979-82.[2]
He served in the New Jersey Air National Guard from 1966-1972, achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant.[2]
In December 1996, Giblin was a member of the New Jersey State Electoral College, one of 15 electors casting their votes for the Clinton/Gore ticket.[3]
Giblin received a B.A. from Seton Hall University in Political Science and has done Post-Graduate Studies at Seton Hall University and Rutgers University.[2]
On November 20, 2006, investigators from the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Department of Labor raided Giblin's office as part of an undisclosed investigation, seizing documents and computer data.[4]
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 34th District for the 2008-2009 Legislative Session are:
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by B. Thomas Byrne, Jr. 1994-1997 |
Chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee 1997 – 2001 |
Succeeded by Joseph J. Roberts |