Joseph Pennacchio (born May 27,1955) is an American Republican Party politician,who has represented the 26th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate since January 8,2008. Pennacchio has served in the Senate as the Deputy Republican Leader since 2022.[3] He served in the General Assembly from 2001 to 2008.
He served on the Morris CountyBoard of Chosen Freeholders from 1998 to 2001[5] and is a former member of Governor DiFrancesco's New Jersey Economic Development Authority.[3] He is the founder and a former member of the Montville Education Foundation,and a former member of the Montville Economic Development Council. He ousted incumbent freeholder,John M. Fox,in the 1998 Republican primary.[6][7] He was succeeded by John Inglesino on the Board of Chosen Freeholders.[8][9]
Pennacchio ran for state Senate in 2007 upon the retirement of Robert J. Martin. He has since served as Assistant Minority Leader from 2014 to 2017 when he was chosen as Minority Whip.[3] During the 2019 budget fight,Democrats contradicted Governor Phil Murphy and passed a budget without the millionaires' tax. Pennacchio,alongside six other Republicans,voted for the budget.[13] Since 2022,he has been the Deputy Republican Leader .[3]
In 1991,Pennacchio sent a 94-page white paper called the "Nationalist Agenda"[21] to then-New Jersey General Assemblyminority leaderChuck Haytaian.[22] The manifesto,among other things,called for a new "Nationalist Party;" Balanced Budget Amendment;Line-item Veto Amendment;Term Length/Limit Amendment (six-year terms for presidents,senators,and congressmen and twelve-year term limits for each office);Anti-Racism Amendment;Amend the 2nd Amendment to allow for regulation and banning of certain guns and ammunition;Death Penalty Amendment (make murder a federal crime and ensure that the death penalty is allowed);Equal Rights Amendment (albeit slightly amended);Flag-Burning Amendment;abolition of the Electoral College;establishment of regional presidential primaries;Establishment of a federal "Department of Science";national lottery (funded by voluntary $52-per-year contributions on tax returns;only those participating would be eligible to win),school vouchers;reforms to Social Security,Medicare,Medicaid,and Welfare Reform;letting the homeless stay in military bases;[23][24] and mandatory military service for non-violent criminals.[25] This has been referred to by his primary opponent as a "fascistmanifesto". Sabrin called for him to drop out of the Senate race and resign from the State Senate.[26] Pennacchio refused to drop out,and said that these were ideas he came up with before he ran for office,and that he had "evolved" beyond many of them.[27] Pennacchio described these attacks as "anti-Italian". Despite these attacks,he bested Sabrin by a wide margin.
↑ "Pennacchio joins Assembly", The Star-Ledger, March 9, 2001. Accessed August 17, 2007. "Pennacchio, who will resign his freeholder position next Thursday, replaces Republican Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, also of Montville, who recently was appointed to the state Board of Public Utilities."
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