Anthony Mark Bucco (born April 12, 1962) is an American lawyer and Republican Party politician currently serving as the State Senator for New Jersey's 25th Legislative District. He had been a member of the New Jersey General Assembly since 2010 and was appointed to the State Senate in 2019 following the death of his father, incumbent Senator Anthony R. Bucco.[1]

Anthony Bucco
Minority Leader of the New Jersey Senate
Assumed office
July 1, 2023
Preceded bySteve Oroho
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 25th district
Assumed office
October 24, 2019
Preceded byAnthony R. Bucco
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 25th district
In office
January 12, 2010 – October 24, 2019
Preceded byRick Merkt
Succeeded byAura K. Dunn
Personal details
Born
Anthony Mark Bucco

(1962-04-12) April 12, 1962 (age 62)
Boonton, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAmy Bucco
Children6
EducationLycoming College (BA)
Seton Hall University (JD)
WebsiteLegislative website
Party website

Bucco serves in the Senate as the Republican Whip.[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

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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

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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 committeemembers 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]

Committees

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Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[2]

  • Judiciary

25th District

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New Jersey's 25th Legislative District (2012-2022 Apportionment)

Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly.[10] The representatives from the 25th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[11]

Personal life

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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

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Senate

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25th Legislative District General Election, 2023[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Anthony M. Bucco (incumbent) 27,250 52.7
Democratic Christine Clarke 24,491 47.3
Total votes 51,741 100.0
Republican hold
25th Legislative District general election, 2021[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Anthony M. Bucco (incumbent) 43,758 57.47
Democratic Jeffrey Grayzel 32,381 42.53
Total votes 76,139 100.0
Republican hold
25th Legislative District special election, 2020[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Anthony M. Bucco (incumbent) 67,142 54.0
Democratic Rupande Mehta 57,192 46.0
Total votes 124,334 100.0
Republican hold

General Assembly

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25th Legislative District General Election, 2019[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Anthony Bucco, Jr. (incumbent) 26,848 27.19%
Republican Brian Bergen 25,552 25.87%
Democratic Lisa Bhimani 23,505 23.8%
Democratic Darcy Draeger 22,850 23.14%
Total votes 98,755 100%
Republican hold
New Jersey general election, 2017[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Michael Patrick Carroll (Incumbent) 30,323 26.2   2.0
Republican Tony Bucco (Incumbent) 30,278 26.1   3.4
Democratic Thomas Moran 27,848 24.0   3.2
Democratic Richard Corcoran 27,386 23.6   2.0
Total votes '115,835' '100.0'
New Jersey general election, 2015[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tony Bucco (Incumbent) 13,974 29.5   13.5
Republican Michael Patrick Carroll (Incumbent) 13,372 28.2   12.2
Democratic Richard J. Corcoran III 10,230 21.6 N/A
Democratic Thomas Moran 9,849 20.8 N/A
Total votes '47,425' '100.0'
New Jersey general election, 2013[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tony Bucco (Incumbent) 35,536 43.0   13.5
Republican Michael Patrick Carroll (Incumbent) 33,393 40.4   10.4
Listen, Lead, Succeed Rebecca Feldman 9,209 11.2 N/A
Principle Before Politics Jack Curtis 4,426 5.4 N/A
Total votes '82,564' '100.0'
New Jersey general election, 2011[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael Patrick Carroll (Incumbent) 18,481 30.0
Republican Tony Bucco (Incumbent) 18,218 29.5
Democratic Gale Heiss Colucci 12,564 20.4
Democratic George Stafford 12,432 20.2
Total votes 61,695 100.0
New Jersey general election, 2009[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Tony Bucco 39,150 33.0   3.3
Republican Michael Patrick Carroll (Incumbent) 38,188 32.2   3.3
Democratic Wendy Wright 21,431 18.0   3.5
Democratic Rebekah Conroy 20,010 16.8   3.1
Total votes '118,779' '100.0'

References

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  1. ^ "Bucco elected to Senate". New Jersey Globe. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b Senator Anthony M. Bucco (R), New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 23, 2024.
  3. ^ Wildstein, David (June 28, 2023). "Oroho steps down early as Senate minority leader". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  4. ^ "MCRC Officers". Archived from the original on 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  5. ^ Pizarro, Max (June 2, 2009). "Bucco name the focus of LD 25 race as the elder Bucco rests in hospital". Observer. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  6. ^ "New Jersey 2009 Primary Results & Polls". Archived from the original on 2009-06-11. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  7. ^ Johnson, Brent (September 28, 2019). "Republican to seek his late father's N.J. Senate seat. But he's still running for Assembly". NJ.com. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  8. ^ Westhoven, William (October 15, 2019). "Anthony M. Bucco, still in Assembly race, named to late father's Senate seat". Morristown Daily Record. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  9. ^ Friedman, Matt (November 6, 2019). "Republicans gain seats in Assembly, win special Senate election in 'Murphy midterms'". Politico. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  10. ^ New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed May 1, 2022.
  11. ^ Legislative Roster for District 25, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 23, 2024.
  12. ^ 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."
  13. ^ Ragonese, Lawrence (2009-05-24). "Family feud in 25th District Assembly race in Morris County". The Star-Ledger.
  14. ^ "Official List, Candidates for State Senate for GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  15. ^ "Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 06/08/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  16. ^ "Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/03/2020 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  17. ^ "Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For PRIMARY ELECTION 06/04/2019 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. April 11, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  18. ^ "2017-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  19. ^ "2015-official-ge-results-nj-general-assembly.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 30, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  20. ^ "2013-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 7, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  21. ^ "2011-official-gen-elect-gen-assembly-results-121411.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 14, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  22. ^ "2009-official-gen-elect-gen-assembly-tallies-120109.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
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New Jersey General Assembly
Preceded by Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 25th district

2010–2019
Served alongside: Michael Patrick Carroll
Succeeded by
New Jersey Senate
Preceded by Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 25th district

2019–present
Incumbent
Preceded by Minority Leader of the New Jersey Senate
2023–present