James Beach

James Beach
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 6th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
2009
Preceded by John Adler
Personal details
Born October 28, 1946
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Linda
Residence Voorhees Township, New Jersey
Alma mater B.A. Midwestern College (Psychology and Physical Education)
M.A. Rowan University (Personnel Services)
Profession Property Damage Specialist, All Risk
Website Legislative web page

James "Jim" Beach (born October 28, 1946) is an American Democratic Party politician who has served in the New Jersey Senate since 2009, where he represents the 6th legislative district. He serves in the Senate on the Environment and Labor Committees.[1]

Education

Beach has earned a B.S. degree in psychology from Midwestern College and a M.A. degree in personnel services from Rowan University.[1]

Career

A resident of Voorhees Township,[2] Beach first entered Camden County politics after responding to a 1990 recruitment ad that county Democrats had posted seeking prospective candidates to burnish the party's image and help retain the Democrat's control on county government. Beach showed up at his interview with his tax bill complaining about his taxes, and was described by Freeholder Jeffrey L. Nash as just what the party was seeking in a candidate, "regular people complaining about their taxes".[3] He was elected to the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1991, and was named as Freeholder Director in 1993. Beach was elected as Camden County Clerk in 1995.[3]

He served as County Clerk until 2009, until winning a November 2009 special election convention to replace John Adler in the Senate, who had won a seat in the United States House of Representatives.[3] With the endorsement of George Norcross, Beach ran unopposed in the convention.[4] Beach must won a November 2009 special election in order to remain in the Senate through the end of Adler's four-year term. Beach saw his salary drop from $153,437 annually as County Clerk to $49,000 as State Senator, and indicated after his selection to fill the Senate seat that he would seek additional employment to supplement his salary, ensuring that there was no conflict with his position as Senator.[3] Beach was soon hired by Camden County College for a part-time job as an advisor, allowing him to collect an annual salary of $10,400 and remain in New Jersey's Public Employee Retirement System, for which county clerks but not state senators are eligible.[5] After critical editorials in The Star-Ledger and the Courier-Post accused Beach of abusing the public pension system, Beach left the Camden County College job.[6]

Beach had worked as an educator and football coach at schools including both St. Joseph High School (Camden, New Jersey) and Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden and Highland Regional High School in Blackwood, and had been director of vocational education at the Black Horse Pike Regional School District.[3]

District 6

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 6th District for the 2012-2013 (215th) Legislative Session are:

Municipalities Represented Berlin Township, Cherry Hill Township, Collingswood Borough, Gibbsboro Borough, Haddon Township, Haddonfield Borough, Hi-Nella Borough, Maple Shade Township, Merchantville Borough, Oaklyn Borough, Pennsauken Township, Somerdale Borough, Stratford Borough, Tavistock Borough, Voorhees Township

Election History

New Jersey State Senate elections, 2011[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic James Beach (incumbent) 25,297 62.1
Republican Phil Mitsch 15,415 37.9
Democratic hold
New Jersey State Senate Special elections, 2009[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic James Beach (incumbent) 36,582 58.2
Republican Joseph A. Adolf 26,280 41.8
Democratic hold

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Senator Beach's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed March 16, 2009.
  2. ↑ Staff. "Democrats maintain grip on N.J. Assembly", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 4, 2009. Accessed March 17, 2011. "In the Senate, Democrat James Beach - a Voorhees resident who served as Camden County clerk and freeholder - bested Republican Joseph Adolf..."
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Burton, Cynthia. "Camden County clerk to fill John Adler's term", Philadelphia Inquirer, December 2, 2008. Accessed March 16, 2009.
  4. ↑ Staff. "Norcross picks Beach for Adler Senate seat", Politicker NJ, November 27, 2008. Accessed January 7, 2012.
  5. ↑ Editorial. "Another example of the need for pension reform in New Jersey", The Star-Ledger, July 27, 2009. accessed January 7, 2011. "A lot of people talk about the huge deficit in New Jersey's pension fund. But state Sen. Jim Beach is doing something about it.He's making it worse."
  6. ↑ Ingle, Bob. "Less sunny now for this Beach", Asbury Park Press, July 31, 2009. Accessed January 7, 2011. "Now, reports the Courier-Post, Beach has resigned. “I think he realized what he was doing was politics as usual and it wouldn’t pass the smell test for this election,” said Joe Adolf, Beach’s Republican foe in the race for the 6th District Senate seat. Maybe the public is finally getting tired of double-dippers, even in Camden County."
  7. ↑ Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2011 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 14, 2011. Accessed January 7, 2012.
  8. ↑ "New Jersey Senate, (retrieved on 12/12/11).

External links

New Jersey Senate
Preceded by
John Adler		 New Jersey State Senator - District 6
2009 - Present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent