John Orus Bennett III | |
---|---|
Acting Governor of New Jersey | |
In office January 8, 2002 –January 12, 2002 | |
Preceded by | John Farmer Jr. (acting) |
Succeeded by | Richard Codey (acting) |
President of the New Jersey Senate | |
In office January 8,2002 –January 14,2004 Servingwith Richard Codey (co-presidents) | |
Preceded by | Robert E. Littell (acting) |
Succeeded by | Richard Codey |
Majority Leader of the New Jersey Senate | |
In office January 11,1994 –January 8,2002 | |
Preceded by | John H. Dorsey |
Succeeded by | Anthony R. Bucco Robert Singer |
Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 12th district | |
In office May 22,1989 –January 13,2004 | |
Preceded by | S. Thomas Gagliano |
Succeeded by | Ellen Karcher |
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly | |
In office January 8,1980 –May 22,1989 | |
Preceded by | Walter J. Kozloski |
Succeeded by | Michael Arnone |
Constituency | 11th district (1980–1982) 12th district (1982–1989) |
Personal details | |
Born | New Jersey | August 6,1948
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Peg Bennett |
Residence(s) | Little Silver,New Jersey,U.S. |
Alma mater | West Virginia University (BA) Seton Hall University (JD) |
John Orus Bennett III (born August 6,1948) is an American former politician from New Jersey. A member of the Republican Party,he served as a state senator,and between 2002 and 2004,as president of the state senate. Bennett served as acting governor of New Jersey for four days in January 2002.
Bennett attended Dickinson College from 1966 to 1968,graduated from West Virginia University with a B.A. in 1970,and earned a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1974. [1]
Bennett acted as governor for three and a half days in January 2002. Following Republican Governor Christine Todd Whitman's resignation on January 31,2001 to become head of the EPA,Bennett was one of three different senate presidents (along with Donald DiFrancesco and Richard Codey,and furthermore Attorney General John Farmer Jr.) to serve as acting governor for the one-year period between Whitman's resignation and the inauguration of the Democratic governor-elect Jim McGreevey on January 15,2002.
Fellow Republican DiFrancesco served as acting governor for almost a year in his capacity as president of the senate,but his term as president ended a few days before the rest of the gubernatorial term was finished,as a new senate had been sworn in. The new senate was evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans,leading Attorney General Farmer to serve as acting governor for about ninety minutes while Republican leader Bennett and Democratic leader Codey agreed to serve as co-presidents of the senate. They also decided to divide the last week of the gubernatorial term among them,with Bennett first serving for three and a half days,from January 8,2002 to January 12,2002,before Codey would serve the remaining three and a half days. By the time McGreevey took office on January 15,he was the fifth person to serve as governor in the preceding eight days. [2]
During his service as acting governor,Bennett signed legislation into law,appointed judges,granted a pardon to Hugh G. Gallagher,created a nursing advisory council,and hosted several parties at Drumthwacket. [3] The nursing advisory council was a tribute to his wife,Peg,a nurse.[ citation needed ]
Before he became Senate President,Bennett served as Senate Majority Leader. [4]
In June 2002,Bennett was involved in a shoving match with South Jersey Democratic Party boss and Commerce National Insurance CEO George Norcross after Norcross threatened to publicize a pardon Bennett gave during his three-day executive tenure if Bennett could not convince his fellow Republican senators to vote for a tax increase and stadium construction bill in committee.[ citation needed ]
Bennett fell out of favor as a result of allegations that he overbilled the municipality of Marlboro Township for legal services. In a statement to the press,Bennett blamed party bosses and a biased press for attempting to destroy him. Bennett was a leading opponent of using state funds to construct a convention center/stadium in Pennsauken Township,New Jersey that would have been used by a minor league ice hockey team in which Norcross had bought an interest.[ citation needed ]
John Bennett failed in his 2003 bid for re-election to the State Senate,falling to Ellen Karcher,52%-43%,with the Green Party of New Jersey candidate winning 5% of the vote. [5] [6]
In the 2005 primary election he was elected Republican State Committeeman for Monmouth County. John O. Bennett is also a professor at Montclair State University. In June 2012 he was elected the chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Party Committee during its annual reorganization meeting. [7] After being ousted from the chairmanship by county sheriff Shaun Golden,Bennett served as an administrator for Oceanport,Lavallette,and Woodbridge. [8]
In September 2020,he was appointed as the Interim Administrator in Dover,New Jersey. [9] His appointment was made permanent in April 2021.
Bennett was hospitalized in January 2022 after a traffic accident with a school bus. [10] The crash may have been caused by a medical incident. [11]
Christine Temple Whitman is an American politician and author who served as the 50th governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001 and as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. As of 2024,Whitman is the only woman to have served as governor of New Jersey.
The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit,with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official residence of the governor is Drumthwacket,a mansion located in Princeton,New Jersey. The governor's office is located inside of the New Jersey State House in Trenton,making New Jersey notable as the executive's office is located in the same building as the legislature. New Jersey is also notable for being one of the few states in which the governor's official residence is not located in the state capital.
James Edward McGreevey is an American politician who served as the 52nd governor of New Jersey from 2002 until his resignation in 2004.
Donald Thomas DiFrancesco is a retired American politician who served as the 51st governor of New Jersey from 2001 to 2002. He succeeded Christine Todd Whitman after her resignation to become Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. A member of the Republican Party,DiFrancesco previously was President of the New Jersey Senate from 1992 to 2002.
Richard James Codey is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New Jersey from 2004 to 2006. A member of the Democratic Party,he served in the New Jersey Senate from 1982 to 2024 and as the President of the Senate from 2002 to 2010. He represented the 27th Legislative District,which covered the western portions of Essex County and the southeastern portion of Morris County.
An acting governor is a person who acts in the role of governor. In Commonwealth jurisdictions where the governor is a vice-regal position,the role of "acting governor" may be filled by a lieutenant governor or an administrator.
John J. Farmer Jr. is an American author,lawyer,politician,and jurist. He is the director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics,where he also leads the Miller Center for Community Protection and Resilience (CPR). He served as acting governor of New Jersey for 90 minutes on January 8,2002,by virtue of his status as New Jersey Attorney General.
The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844,replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts,representing districts with an average population of 232,225. Each district has one senator and two members of the New Jersey General Assembly,the lower house of the legislature. Prior to the election in which they are chosen,senators must be a minimum of 30 years old and a resident of the state for four years to be eligible to serve in office.
The 2005 New Jersey gubernatorial election was a race to determine the governor of New Jersey. It was held on November 8,2005. Democratic governor Richard Codey,who replaced Governor Jim McGreevey in 2004 after his resignation,did not run for election for a full term of office.
Robert Eugene Littell was an American Republican Party politician who served as a member of the New Jersey Senate from 1990 to 2008. He represented the 15th Legislative District until 1982 and the 24th Legislative District thereafter. Before entering the Senate he served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1968 to 1990 and the Franklin Borough Council from 1963 to 1965. He was a Delegate to the 1976 Republican National Convention.
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The lieutenant governor of New Jersey is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the state government of New Jersey in the United States. The lieutenant governor is the second highest-ranking official in the state government and is elected concurrently on a ticket with the governor for a four-year term. The position itself does not carry any powers or duties other than to be next in the order of succession,but the state constitution requires that the lieutenant governor also be appointed to serve as the head of a cabinet-level department or administrative agency within the governor's administration,other than the position of Attorney General.
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United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 6,2001,in two states and one territory,as well as other statewide offices and members of state legislatures.
The 2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election was a race for the Governor of New Jersey. It was held on November 6,2001. Primaries took place on June 25. Democratic nominee Jim McGreevey won the general election with 56% of the vote against Bret Schundler —the first majority-elected governor since James Florio in 1989. Democrats simultaneously ended Republican control of both houses of the legislature after 10 years.
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The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of New Jersey:
A lieutenant governor is an official in state governments of 45 out of 50 of the United States. In most cases,the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor,standing in for that officer when they are absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated. In the event a governor dies,resigns or is removed from office,the lieutenant governor typically becomes governor.
The 2007 New Jersey State Senate elections were held on November 4.