Barry T. Parker (born December 12, 1932) is an American Republican Party politician who served in both the General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate.
Parker was born in Mount Holly, New Jersey [1] in 1932 and graduated from the Bordentown Military Institute in 1950. He received his A.B. degree from Bucknell University in 1954 and his LL.B. degree from Rutgers University in 1960. [2]
Parker was first elected to the General Assembly in 1965 and was reelected in 1967 and 1969. He was named Speaker of the Assembly in 1971. While serving as Speaker, he was elected to the State Senate. He was reelected in 1973 and 1977 and served as Minority Leader. [2]
Parker did not seek reelection for his Senate seat in 1981, instead running for Governor of New Jersey. In a crowded field for the Republican primary, he garnered 7% of the vote, coming in f≤ifth behind Thomas Kean (31%), Paterson Mayor Lawrence F. Kramer (21%), businessman Joseph A. Sullivan (17%), and State Senator James Wallwork. [3]
Candidate | Office | Votes | % |
---|---|---|---|
Thomas Kean | Former Assembly Speaker | 122,512 | 31% |
Pat Kramer | Former Mayor of Paterson | 83,565 | 21% |
Bo Sullivan | Businessman | 67,651 | 17% |
James Wallwork | State Senator | 61,816 | 16% |
Barry T. Parker | State Senator | 26,040 | 7% |
Anthony Imperiale | State Assemblyman | 18,452 | 5% |
Jack Rafferty | Mayor of Hamilton | 12,837 | 3% |
Richard McGlynn | Former Superior Court Judge | 5,486 | 1% |
Parker is of counsel at the law firm Parker, McCay in Marlton, New Jersey. [5]
Thomas Howard Kean is an American politician, statesman, and academic administrator from the state of New Jersey. A Republican, Kean served two terms as the 48th governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990.
Thomas Howard Kean Jr. is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from New Jersey's 7th congressional district since 2023. He represented New Jersey's 21st legislative district in the New Jersey Senate from 2003 to 2022, serving as minority leader from 2008 to 2022.
Charles Leighton Hardwick is an American Republican Party politician and business leader who served as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly and was a candidate for Governor of New Jersey.
Robert Winthrop Kean was an American Republican Party politician from the state of New Jersey. Kean represented parts of Essex County, New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives from 1939 to 1959. He retired from the House to run for United States Senate in 1958, but was defeated by Harrison A. Williams.
The New Jersey Democratic State Committee (NJDSC) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of New Jersey. LeRoy J. Jones Jr. is the chair and Peg Schaffer is the vice chair. Its main rival is the New Jersey Republican State Committee.
The New Jersey Republican Party (NJGOP) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New Jersey. It was founded in 1880 and is currently led by Bob Hugin.
Raymond H. "Ray" Bateman was an American politician who represented Somerset County in the New Jersey Senate in the 1960s and 1970s and was the Republican candidate for Governor of New Jersey in 1977. He was the father of Kip Bateman, who later occupied the same Senate district he held.
Steven V. Oroho is an American Republican Party politician, who served in the New Jersey Senate from January 8, 2008, to January 9. 2024, where he represented the 24th Legislative District. Oroho served as State Senate Minority Leader after being elected during a State Senate Republicans Caucus meeting, replacing Thomas Kean Jr.
Peter Ian Shapiro was an American financial services executive, member of the Board of Directors of New Israel Fund, and politician from New Jersey. He was the youngest person ever elected to the New Jersey General Assembly and went on to serve as Essex County Executive and as the Democratic nominee for Governor of New Jersey in 1985 against incumbent Thomas Kean.
Francis "Frank" X. McDermott was an American Republican Party politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature.
Samuel Kirkbride Robbins was a Republican Party politician who served as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly and President of the New Jersey Senate.
Gerald H. Zecker is an American Republican Party politician who served 18 years in the New Jersey General Assembly, from 1984 to 2002, where he represented the 34th Legislative District, losing office after several heavily Democratic communities were added to his district in the 2001 apportionment following the 2000 United States census. He served as mayor of Clifton, New Jersey from 1978 to 1982.
The 1989 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1989. Incumbent Republican Governor Thomas Kean was term-limited after two consecutive terms. Democrat James Florio, a U.S. Representative from Camden County and a twice-unsuccessful candidate for Governor, defeated Republican U.S. Representative Jim Courter by the lopsided margin of 61.2%-37.2%.
The 1981 New Jersey gubernatorial election was held November 3, 1981. Republican Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly Thomas Kean narrowly defeated Democratic U.S. Representative James Florio, 49.46%-49.38, following a recount. Kean's margin of victory was 1,797 votes out of more than two million votes cast. As of 2024, the 1981 gubernatorial election remains the closest gubernatorial contest in New Jersey history.
Albert McCay (1901–1969) was a Republican Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1944 to 1948 and in the New Jersey Senate from 1952 to 1960.
Anthony M. Villane Jr. was an American dentist and Republican Party politician who was elected to serve seven terms in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1976 to 1988, and served as head of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs from 1988 to 1990, when he was named as regional administrator of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Martin A. Herman is an American Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 3rd Legislative District from 1974 to 1986, and was later appointed as a judge in New Jersey Superior Court in Gloucester County.
Lee B. Laskin was an American attorney, politician and judge who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature before being appointed to serve on the New Jersey Superior Court.
John K. "Jack" Rafferty was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Hamilton Township, New Jersey, from 1976 to 1999 and in the New Jersey General Assembly from the 14th Legislative District from 1986 to 1988.
The 1981 New Jersey State Senate elections were held on November 3. The New Jersey legislature reapportioned its state legislative districts in advance of the 1981 election. The new districts resulted in many senators running for re-election in newly re-numbered districts. The election coincided with a tightly contested gubernatorial election between Thomas Kean and James Florio. Republicans gained five seats, narrowing the Democratic majority to 22-18.