Joe Kyrillos

Joseph M. Kyrillos
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 13th district
Assumed office
January 14, 1992
Preceded by James T. Phillips
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 13th district
In office
January 12, 1988 – January 14, 1992
Preceded by Joseph Azzolina
Succeeded by Joseph Azzolina
Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee
In office
2001–2004
Preceded by Chuck Haytaian
Succeeded by Tom Wilson
Personal details
Born Kearny, New Jersey
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Susan Doctorian Kyrillos
Children Two
Alma mater Hobart College (B.A.)
Boston University (M.S.)
Website Legislative web page

Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. (born April 12, 1960) is an American Republican Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey State Senate since 1992, where he represents the 13th Legislative District. Before entering the Senate, Kyrillos served in the General Assembly, from 1988 to 1992.[1]

From 2001 to 2004, Senator Kyrillos served as Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee and a member of the Republican National Committee, where he worked to elect Republicans who shared his vision. In that role, he facilitated the logistics and implementation of the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City and read the delegate count for President George W. Bush’s nomination for re-election on the convention floor. Joe was the New Jersey Chairman of Mitt Romney’s campaign in 2008, and in 2009, he served as the Chairman of Governor Christie's successful campaign and as a member of the transition team. He served as a close advisor to former Florida Governor Jeb Bush in the 2016 Republican presidential primary.[2][3]

According to the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services, Senator Kyrillos is the second youngest person elected to the senate since the 1947 Constitutional Convention and the tenth youngest since 1844. He served as only the 29th Republican state chairman in the recorded history of the party since 1880 and one of only four to serve simultaneously in the legislature. When he unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 2012 against Democratic incumbent U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, he joined a small group of 135 individuals who, since the founding of New Jersey, earned the privilege to have been nominated for Governor or U.S. Senator by the major political parties. [4]

Early life, education, and business career

Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. was born April 12, 1960, in Kearny, New Jersey, the son of a pediatrician.[5][6] Joe’s father and his mother’s parent’s immigrated to the United States. His grandfather worked as a tool and die maker at Thomas Edison’s factory in West Orange. His father was a local doctor and his mother raised four children and graduated from college at age 50.[7]

Kyrillos graduated from Rumson Country Day School and the Lawrenceville School.[8] He received a B.A. degree from Hobart College in Political Science and was awarded an M.S. from Boston University in Communications.[1]

After graduating from college, Kyrillos worked for Vice President George Bush during the 1984 Reagan-Bush campaign.[9] Following the campaign, he served as Special Assistant to Secretary of the Interior Donald Hodel from 1985 to 1987.[10]

In addition to his Senate duties, Joe is currently affiliated with Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, a commercial real estate services firm, and Newport Capital, Red Bank, an investment advisory firm.[2]

Visible and accessible in his district and around the State, Kyrillos has appeared on television on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, New York network affiliates, and local New Jersey outlets.[2]

He has served on many local and statewide non-profit boards as well as on the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures and as a trustee of the American Council of Young Political Leaders.[2]

New Jersey Assembly (1988–1992)

Elections

Kyrillos was first elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1987, together with his incumbent running mate JoAnn H. Smith, with both candidates receiving more than $25,000 each in campaign funding from the $1.1 million spent by the New Jersey Republican State Committee to support candidates statewide.[11][12] In 1989, he won re-election to a second term.[13] After spending two terms in the Assembly, he retired to run for the seat in the New Jersey Senate in 1991.[14]

Tenure

Kyrillos strongly opposed Democratic Governor Jim Florio's tax increases, citing his opposition to "the Florio tax plan" repeatedly in his campaign advertising.[15] He also opposed the Abbott districts.

Committee assignments

New Jersey Senate (1992–Present)

Elections

In 1991, Kyrillos decided to run for the 13th District seat in the New Jersey Senate. He defeated incumbent appointed Senator James T. Phillips 68%-32%.[17][18] In 1993, after redistricting, he won re-election to a second term with 64% of the vote.[19] In 1997, he won re-election to a third term with 63% of the vote.[20]

After redistricting, the 13th district became more competitive. In 2001, he won re-election to a fourth term (two-year term) with 64% of the vote.[21] He won re-election to a fifth term in 2003 against former State Assemblyman Bill Flynn 54%-41%.[22] In 2007, he won re-election to a sixth term with 61% of the vote.[23] In 2011, he won re-election to a seventh term, defeating Hazlet Mayor Chris Cullen, 60%-37%.[24]

Tenure and Legislative Accomplishments

When Republicans held the legislative majority in the Statehouse, Senator Kyrillos served as Majority Conference Leader and chaired standing committees on economic development and coastal resources.[2]

A ranking member of the Economic Growth, Judiciary and Legislative Oversight committees, he has sponsored numerous economic incentives and tax reforms to allow job creators to spend money on hiring and investment, instead of excessive government. He was the original sponsor of the state's landmark Business Employment Incentive Program (BEIP), which has resulted in the creation of hundreds of thousands of New Jersey jobs.[25] Senator Kyrillos was the prime co-sponsor of the “Grow New Jersey” bill, which is the state’s current business incentive program.

As a lifelong Monmouth County resident, Senator Kyrillos has worked tirelessly to protect New Jersey’s coastline and help the shore region rebuild in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Senator Kyrillos helped establish the state’s Shore Protection Fund in 1993, which provided the first stable source of funding for protecting New Jersey’s beaches. He also sponsored legislation to keep our oceans clean and close the CAFRA loophole to protect the shoreline from overdevelopment and decay. He led the early fight for green acres and open space efforts by sponsoring Green Acre bond issues and sponsored the original Environmental Infrastructure Trust.[14]

Senator Kyrillos, an advocate for improving public education, was the prime sponsor of the School Report Card legislation to hold public schools and teachers accountable. He also sponsored the current teacher tenure reform bill and has advocated for reforms to the state’s inequitable school funding formula.[2]

Working with legislators on both sides of the aisle, Senator Kyrillos championed several bi-partisan reform measures to lower property taxes and fix systemic problems with the state budget. Senator Kyrillos was a prime sponsor of the two-percent cap on property taxes that is helping to control excessive local spending. He worked with the Governor and Legislative Leaders to begin to fix the state’s broken pension system with reforms saving taxpayers more than $120 billion over the next 30 years.[2]

Along the way, he sponsored initiatives that created the NJ Cultural Trust, the NJ BEST vehicle for higher education savings, and the bill that created today’s NJTV.

On October 25, 2016, Kyrillos told Observer.com that he will not seek a re-election for the 2017 State Senate elections.[26]

Committee assignments

Other positions

District 13

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 13th District for the 2014–2015 Legislative Session are:[28]

Other political activities

1992 congressional election

In 1992, Kyrillos ran for the United States House of Representatives but was defeated by incumbent Democrat Frank Pallone in a competitive race, falling short by about 10 points.[29]

2001-2004 Chairman, New Jersey Republican State Committee

From 2001 to 2004, Kyrillos served as Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee and a member of the Republican National Committee, where he worked to elect Republicans who shared his vision. In that role, he facilitated the logistics and implementation of the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City and read the delegate count for President George W. Bush’s nomination for re-election on the convention floor.[2]

2008 Romney presidential campaign

Kyrillos was the New Jersey Chairman of Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign.[9]

2009 Christie gubernatorial campaign

In 2009, Kyrillos served as chairman of Chris Christie's successful gubernatorial campaign and was a member of the Governor's Transition Committee, serving as the liaison to all transition sub-committees.[30]

2012 U.S. Senate election

In June 2011, Kyrillos filed an exploratory committee for a potential race in either 2012 or 2014.[31][32]

On January 19, 2012, Kyrillos officially decided to run for the U.S. Senate, citing unemployment, housing prices and the national debt as issues he would tackle in the Senate.[33][34] Kyrillos won the Republican nomination on June 5, 2012. He opposed Democratic incumbent Bob Menendez in the November 6th general election, in which he was defeated 58.4% to 39.9%.

Memberships

Kyrillos has served on the boards of the American Council of Young Political Leaders, National Conference of State Legislatures Foundation, Bayshore Senior Day Center, Count Basie Theatre, Garden State Arts Center Foundation, Monmouth County Historical Association, New Jersey Historical Society, Prevention First, Rainbow Foundation, and the Two River Theatre Company.[10]

Personal life

Kyrillos is married to Susan Doctorian Kyrillos and has two children, Max and Georgia.

Election history

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2013[35]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joe Kyrillos (incumbent) 40,762 68.1
Democratic Joseph Marques 18,289 30.6
The People's Choice Mac Dara F. Lyden 774 1.3
Republican hold
United States Senate election in New Jersey, 2012[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Bob Menendez (incumbent) 1,987,680 58.87% +5.50%
Republican Joseph Kyrillos 1,329,534 39.37% -4.98%
Libertarian Kenneth R. Kaplan 16,803 0.50% -0.15%
Green Ken Wolski 15,801 0.47%
Independent Gwen Diakos 9,359 0.28%
Independent J. David Dranikoff 3,834 0.11%
Independent Inder "Andy" Soni 3,593 0.11%
Independent Robert "Turk" Turkavage 3,532 0.10%
Socialist Greg Pason 2,249 0.07%
Independent Eugene M. LaVergne 2,198 0.07%
Independent Daryl Brooks 2,066 0.06%
Majority 658,146 19.49%
Turnout 3,376,649
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2011[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joseph M. Kyrillos (incumbent) 24,121 60.0
Democratic Christopher G. Cullen 14,785 36.7
Constitution Party Stephen J. Boracchia 556 1.4%
Keep Monmouth Green Karen Anne Zaletel 519 1.3%
Jobs-Economy-Honesty Mac Dara F. Lyden 260 0.6%
Republican hold
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2007[37]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joseph M. Kyrillos (incumbent) 25,119 60.7
Democratic Leonard L. Inzerillo 16,267 39.3
Republican hold

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Senator Kyrillos' legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed February 21, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Joe Kyrillos for Senate".
  3. ↑ "One of Chris Christie's biggest allies is throwing his support to Jeb Bush". Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  4. ↑ "New Jersey Office of Legislative Services".
  5. ↑ http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/08/joe_kyrillos_hitches_wagon_to.html
  6. ↑ Senator Joseph M. 'Joe' Kyrillos Jr., Project Vote Smart. Accessed September 20, 2007.
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ Independence Day Honors, Lawrenceville School, July 4, 2005. Accessed September 21, 2007.
  9. 1 2 "Press Release - Governor Mitt Romney Announces New Jersey State Leadership". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  10. 1 2 "Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr.". Joseph Kyrillos profile. State Surge. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  11. ↑ Staff. "STATE GOP COMMITTEE SPENT $1.1 MILLION ON '87 ELECTION BIDS", The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 20, 1988. Accessed June 25, 2012. "The GOP committee spent heavily in the 13th District, doling out $25478 apiece to Assemblywoman Joann Smith (R., Middlesex), who was re-elected, and Assemblyman Joseph Kyrillos (R., Monmouth), who begins his first term."
  12. ↑ "Candidates for the Offices of State Senate and General Assembly" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. 1987. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Candidates for the Office of General Assembly" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. 1989. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  14. 1 2 "Kyrillos biography". New Jersey State Senate. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  15. ↑ King, Wayne. "G.O.P. Runs Against Florio, Who's Not Running", The New York Times, September 24, 1991. Accessed June 22, 2012. "Nonetheless, 'the Florio factor' is already established political jargon in New Jersey, an integral part of discussions about races like the one in the 13th Legislative District in Monmouth and Middlesex Counties. Joseph Kyrillos, the Republican Assemblyman who is trying to take away the Senate seat of Jim Phillips, mentions the Governor and 'the Florio tax plan' no fewer than four times in a 60-second radio commercial, and Mr. Phillips not once."
  16. ↑ Staff. "FAST ACTION PROMISED ON SCHOOLS RULING RAISES QUESTIONS OF COST", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 6, 1990. Accessed June 25, 2012. "Assemblyman Joseph Kyrillos (R., Monmouth), a member of the Education Committee, said crafting a response to the court ruling would take time."
  17. ↑ King, Wayne (October 24, 1991). "Florio Urges Democrats To Fight Back". The New York Times. Retrieved July 3, 2015. State Senator James T. Phillips, Democrat of Old Bridge, who is filling out an unexpired term and was not in the Legislature when the taxes were approved last year...
  18. ↑ "Official Results - General Election - November 5, 1991" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. 1991. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Official list - General Election Returns for the Office of Senate and Assembly" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 24, 1993. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Official Results - General Election Returns for the Office of State Senate" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. December 2, 1997. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Official List - Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2001 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. April 17, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Official List - Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2003 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. December 2, 2003. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Official List - Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2007 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. December 3, 2007. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  24. 1 2 Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2011 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 14, 2011. Accessed January 9, 2012.
  25. ↑ Hunger, Matt. "Kyrillos looks to the right and left at four challengers fighting long odds for his seat". NJ Spotlight. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  26. ↑
  27. ↑ McGarry, Michael. "SHORE SUMMIT AT SEA ON WAY TO FUND PLANS", The Press of Atlantic City, February 19, 1992. Accessed June 25, 2012. "'That's the political question we have to answer,' state Sen. Joseph N. Kyrillos Jr., R-Monmouth, chairman of the Senate Natural Resources and Tourism Committee, said later."
  28. ↑ "Legislative Roster 2014-2015 Session". New Jersey Legislature. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  29. ↑ King, Wayne. "THE 1992 ELECTIONS: NEW JERSEY -- U.S. HOUSE RACES; All 10 Incumbents Win Re-election, and Democrats Keep Majority in Delegation', The New York Times, November 4, 1992. Accessed June 15, 2011. "The Democrats also retained the seat held by Frank Pallone Jr., an incumbent. He defeated his Republican opponent in the Sixth District, State Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos, with a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent with 85 percent of the vote counted."
  30. ↑ Johnson, Glen. "Romney Still in the Political Hunt", Associated Press, April 10, 2008. "New Jersey state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, who served as Romney's New Jersey campaign chairman, said he has received four thank-you phone messages from Romney, which is more telling than the buttoned-down persona of the campaign."
  31. ↑ Burton, Cynthia. "Republican Kyrillos, running now for state Senate, eyes 2012 Senate run", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 14, 2011. Accessed June 15, 2011.
  32. ↑ Pizarro, Max. Source: Kyrillos sets up exploratory committee for U.S. Senate run", PolitckerNJ, June 12, 2011. Accessed June 15, 2011.
  33. ↑ Delli Santi, Angela (January 19, 2012). "GOP NJ Sen. Kyrillos to run for US Senate". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  34. ↑ Pizarro, Max (January 19, 2012). "Kyrillos's formal statement on running for U.S. Senate". Politicker NJ.
  35. ↑ "Official List Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/05/2015 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. December 4, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Official List Candidates for US Senate - For GENERAL ELECTION 11/06/2012" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. December 6, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  37. ↑ Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2007 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 3, 2007. Accessed June 22, 2012.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Chuck Haytaian		 Chairperson of the New Jersey Republican State Committee
2001–2004 		Succeeded by
Tom Wilson
Preceded by
Thomas Kean, Jr.		 Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from New Jersey
(Class 1)
2012 		Most recent
New Jersey Senate
Preceded by
James T. Phillips		 Member of the New Jersey Senate for the 13th District
January 14, 1992 – present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
New Jersey General Assembly
Preceded by
Joseph Azzolina		 Member of the New Jersey General Assembly for the 13th District
January 12, 1988 – January 14, 1992
With: JoAnn H. Smith		 Succeeded by
Joseph Azzolina
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