Bucco serves in the Senate as Republican Leader. [2] On July 1,2023,he replaced Steve Oroho as Senate Minority Leader.[3]
Bucco is an attorney who currently serves on the Morris County Republican Committee as its general counsel.[4]
New Jersey General Assembly
After Assemblyman Rick Merkt announced that he would run for the Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey rather than seek re-election in 2009,Bucco announced that he would run for Merkt's seat,which was previously held by his father,Anthony R. Bucco,from 1995 to 1999. Morris County Freeholder Douglas Cabana,the brother of Bucco's wife,Amy also announced his candidacy. Cabana's campaign emphasized his many years in elective office as a Boonton Township Councilman,Boonton Township Mayor,and Freeholder,contrasting this with Bucco's lack of experience in elective office. Bucco countered by accusing Cabana of running a negative campaign,pointing to a Cabana mailer containing "unpleasant photos" of Bucco and "some misinformation."[5] Bucco defeated Cabana by less than 800 votes in the Republican primary.[6] He and running mate Michael Patrick Carroll,a veteran assemblyman,won the general election easily in the heavily Republican 25th district. The two would be reelected in 2011,2013,2015,and 2017.
New Jersey Senate
After his father's death on September 16,2019,Bucco announced his candidacy for the State Senate vacancy while maintaining his campaign for reelection to the Assembly.[7] Bucco won the appointment to the Senate in a special convention of 25th district Republican committee members held on October 15,2019[8] and subsequently won the Assembly seat for which he was running in the November general election. Bucco will decline being seated in the Assembly upon the start of the new term in 2020,and the district's Republican committee appointed a new Assemblyperson.[9]
A lifelong resident of the Boonton,New Jersey area,Bucco attended Boonton High School.[12] Bucco attended Lycoming College and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and managerial economics. He then graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law and was admitted to the bar. Bucco has spent over twenty years as a municipal attorney in private practice,specializing in local government law. He is currently a partner in the law firm of Murphy and McKeon,P.C. He has been involved in state issues such as the Highlands Act and affordable housing laws by representing municipalities on those issues in court.[13] Bucco has served as a volunteer firefighter with the Boonton Fire Department for 28 years,attaining the rank of captain. Bucco has been involved in fighting alcohol and drug abuse,having served on the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse since 1998,and helped found Daytop New Jersey,a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for teenagers,later serving on the organization's board of directors. He is also one of 22 commissioners of the Morris County Sheriff's CrimeStoppers program,and has served in that capacity since 1999.
Electoral history
Senate
25th Legislative District General Election,2023[14]
↑ Ragonese, Lawrence. "A new Trenton team: The Buccos", The Star-Ledger, November 7, 2009. Accessed July 19, 2011. "Father and son. Senator and assemblyman-elect. Anthony Bucco and Anthony Bucco Jr. The Buccos will serve together in the Legislature after the younger Bucco takes the oath of office Jan. 12, the result of his win Tuesday in Morris County's 25th District. The Republican duo will join the small club of parent-child legislators who have served together in New Jersey.... Tony Sr., now 71, was first running for alderman in Boonton when his son was getting elected class president at Boonton High School."
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