Political career Steve Lonegan

1 political career

1.1 mayor of bogota
1.2 1997 state senate campaign
1.3 state director of americans prosperity
1.4 gubernatorial campaigns
1.5 2013 u.s. senate campaign

political career
mayor of bogota

in 1995, lonegan elected mayor of bogota, new jersey, defeating incumbent democrat leonard nicolosi. reelected in 1999 , 2003 double-digit margins. mayor, cut municipal spending, merged several municipal departments , privatized services. lonegan ordered municipality hire civilian dispatchers answer telephones @ police headquarters @ lower pay uniformed officers, angering local police union; fought implementation of losap (length of service award program), extended pension payments volunteer fire , rescue personnel; , required local union contracts exceeding inflation put voters approval. while in office, republicans long in minority in democratic-leaning bogota, controlled municipal council 11 straight elections. lonegan did not seek reelection in 2007, stating belief in term limits.

the 2003 mayoral election in bogota chronicled in documentary anytown, usa.

in 2006, lonegan filed papers public referendum in bogota on making english official language municipality. public question rejected county clerk’s office, partly responsible officiating elections, on legal advice violated state , federal law.

on january 19, 2008, lonegan arrested new jersey state police troopers trespassing @ town hall meeting scheduled governor jon corzine @ high school in middle township, new jersey. lonegan standing on school s lawn protesting when police , school officials asked him move designated protest area , remove sign holding. police arrested him when refused. school officials later apologized , police dropped charges.

1997 state senate campaign

in 1997, lonegan became republican nominee new jersey state senator against democratic incumbent byron baer, 26-year veteran of state legislature. running in 37th legislative district, no republican had ever won, lonegan received 39.3% of vote, losing baer 10,301 vote margin.

state director of americans prosperity

from 2007 2013, lonegan served new jersey state director , senior policy analyst americans prosperity, conservative public policy organization. resigned run u.s. senate.

in 2003, lonegan formed group stopthedebt.com , filed lawsuits against state of new jersey in new jersey s supreme court, challenging state debt sold without voter approval in violation of state constitution s debt limitation clause . in findings against lonegan , group, court stated 2 reasons not requiring voter approval of debt. first, debt issued finance constitutional mandate: requirement legislature shall provide maintenance , support of thorough , efficient system of free public schools instruction of children in state between ages of 5 , eighteen years (article viii section iv). second, debt technically not backed full faith , credit of new jersey, , future lawmakers refuse honor contract @ time.

gubernatorial campaigns


steve lonegan addresses protestors @ philadelphia tea party protest on april 18, 2009.

lonegan ran republican nomination governor in state s 2005 election , finished fourth, in field of 7 8.08% of vote after nominee, businessman doug forrester, former jersey city mayor bret schundler , morris county freeholder john murphy , defeated assembly majority leader paul degaetano, former freedholder todd caliguire , assemblyman robert schroeder.

on december 1, 2008, lonegan announced run republican nomination governor of new jersey, second run seat. lonegan promised cut size of state government more 20% , said run on issues of property taxes, school funding , affordable housing. lonegan sought run conservative alternative more liberal candidate, former u.s. prosecutor chris christie. on june 2, lonegan lost primary christie 55–44% vote.

2013 u.s. senate campaign

in june 2013, lonegan announced run fill new jersey s open u.s. senate seat following death of senator frank lautenberg.

lonegan won republican primary in august 2013, making him republican party s nominee in october 2013 special election lonegan defeated in election democrat cory booker. lost eleven percentage points.