Matthew Ahearn is an American politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

, who served in the New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 General Assembly

New Jersey General Assembly

The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...

, where he represented the 38th legislative district from 2002 to 2004. Ahearn represented a district which covers an area between the Passaic

Passaic River

The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...

 and Hudson

Hudson River

The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

 Rivers in suburban Bergen County

Bergen County, New Jersey

Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...

. Ahearn was elected to the Assembly as a Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 in 2002, but switched his registration to the Green Party

Green Party of New Jersey

The Green Party of New Jersey is the state party organization for New Jersey of the Green Party of the United States.The Green Party of New Jersey is one of the more active Green state affiliates having run over 150 candidates for office. Its co-founders were Nick Mellis and Steve Welzer...

 in January 2003, while in office after a much-publicized feud with Bergen County Democratic Organization chief Joe Ferriero

Joe Ferriero

Joseph A. Ferriero is an American Democratic Party political leader from New Jersey and former chairman of the Bergen County Democratic Organization. Ferriero, an attorney by profession, resides in Old Tappan...

. Ahearn ran as the Green Party candidate in 2003 and lost to Robert M. Gordon

Robert M. Gordon

Robert M. Gordon is an American Democratic Party politician who has served in the New Jersey Senate since January 8, 2008, where he represents the 38th legislative district. Gordon served in the General Assembly from 2004 to 2008, and was the 2007 Democratic nominee to succeed outgoing Senator...

, the Democratic candidate for office.

Ahearn served in the Assembly on the Military & Veterans' Affairs Committee (as Vice Chair) and the Regulated Professions & Independent Authorities Committee.

Ahearn served as the Deputy Mayor of Fair Lawn

Fair Lawn, New Jersey

Fair Lawn is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and a suburban municipality in the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 32,457. Fair Lawn was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March...

 from 1998–2000 and on the Fair Lawn Planning Board during that same period.

He served in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 from 1981–1985, and in the United States Army Reserves/National Guard from 1985–1992, attaining the rank of Captain.

Ahearn graduated with a B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 from Rutgers University

Rutgers University

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

 in Political Science and a J.D.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 from the Hofstra University School of Law

Hofstra University School of Law

The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University is located in Hempstead, New York. Founded in 1970 and accredited by the ABA in 1971, the school offers a JD, a joint JD/MBA degree, and LL.M degrees in American Law and Family law...

.

External links

• Assemblyman Ahearn's Government Website, from the Internet Archive
  Internet Archive
  The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
  
  , archived October 13, 2003