Michael J. Doherty
Encyclopedia
Michael J. Doherty is an American
Republican Party
politician
who serves in the New Jersey
Senate
representing the 23rd legislative district. He won the seat held by Marcia A. Karrow
, who had earlier been selected by a party convention to succeed Leonard Lance
after his election to the United States House of Representatives
, and he was sworn in on November 23, 2009. He had previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly
from 2002 to 2009.
and currently resides in Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey
.
Doherty grew up in Glen Ridge, New Jersey
and graduated from Glen Ridge High School
in 1981. In 1985, Doherty graduated with a B.S. from the United States Military Academy
at West Point, and was commissioned as an officer in the Field Artillery
. Doherty served on active duty in the United States Army from 1985–1989 and in the United States Army Reserve from 1989–1993. He achieved the rank of Captain. He is a graduate of the U.S. Airborne School, the U.S. Army Jungle School and the Defense Language Institute (German). In the Army, he was stationed in Germany and served as a nuclear operations officer. His unit's mission was to utilize nuclear armed missiles to defend Western Europe and NATO forces from possible Soviet aggression. He was granted a Top Secret clearance to perform his nuclear duties.
Doherty and his wife, Linda, have three sons, who have served or are serving on active duty in different branches of the armed forces: Matthew, U.S. Army; Ryan, U.S. Marine Corps; and Jared, U.S. Air Force.
In 1993, he was awarded a J.D.
from the Seton Hall University School of Law
. Doherty is a patent attorney, specializing in semiconductor and medical device technology.
Board of Chosen Freeholders
. In 2000, Doherty defeated the incumbent Freeholder Director, a Democrat, to capture control of the Freeholder Board for the Republican Party. In 2001, he served as Deputy Director of the Freeholder Board. He was elected to serve as the Director of the Freeholder Board in both 2002 and 2003. During his three years on the Freeholder Board, Doherty cut the county tax rate by 21%. Doherty also began a program to reduce the county debt so that today Warren County has the lowest debt of any county in the state. He also prevailed in a showdown with a Superior Court judge who threatened to jail Doherty unless he issued $5 million in bonds to fund an expansion of the local county college. The showdown was eventually decided by the New Jersey Supreme Court
, which sided with Doherty and held that the Freeholder Board was correct to ignore the judge's order.
General Assembly: Doherty was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly
in 2001, and was re-elected in 2003, 2005 and 2007. He served in the Assembly on the Appropriations Committee and the Labor Committee. Early in his Assembly career, he served on the Agriculture Committee, the Housing and the Local Government Committee, and the State House Commission.
State Senate: In November 2008, Doherty announced his intention to run for the State Senate
seat vacated by Leonard Lance
, who was elected to represent the 7th congressional district
in the United States House of Representatives
. Doherty's opponent in the race was Assemblywoman Marcia A. Karrow
. Hunterdon County Freeholder Matt Holt originally planned to run for the vacancy as well, but dropped out to run for one of the Assembly vacancies opened up by Karrow or Doherty. On January 24, 2009, a special election was held by a convention of Republican committee members from Hunterdon
and Warren
counties. Karrow defeated Doherty in the special election by a margin of 195 votes to 143. Doherty announced that he would run against Karrow a second time in the June 2009 primary, when she would be running as the incumbent. Doherty gave up his Assembly seat by opposing Karrow in the primary. On June 2, 2009, Doherty defeated Karrow in the Republican Senate primary by a margin of 52%-48%. He defeated the Democratic candidate Harvey Baron in a special election on November 3, 2009 to fill the remaining two years of the Senate term, garnering 71% of the vote. He was sworn into office on November 23, 2009. In the Senate, Doherty serves on the Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Labor Committee. . Doherty was re-elected to his Senate seat in November 2011.
, the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, the New Jersey Restaurant Association and the National Federation of Independent Business
(awarded a perfect 100% voting record by the NFIB). His voting record is ranked A+ by the National Rifle Association
and has been repeatedly endorsed by New Jersey Right to Life. Doherty is an outspoken critic of the court system, and has introduced numerous pieces of legislation challenging court decisions and procedures. He was designated as "Legislator of the Year" in 2007 by the N.J. Family Policy Council for his continued efforts to support conservative legislation. Doherty is a self-described global warming skeptic.
and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly
. The other representatives from the 23rd District for the 2010–2011 Legislative Session are:
. Assemblyman John DiMaio
from the same legislative district as Doherty has said he would endorse Doherty if he ran.
for President of the United States.
In 2011, Doherty endorsed Paul for President of the United States
in the 2012 election
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who serves 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...
Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
representing the 23rd legislative district. He won the seat held by Marcia A. Karrow
Marcia A. Karrow
Marcia A. Karrow is an American Republican Party politician who served in the New Jersey State Senate where she represented the 23rd legislative district, having taken office on February 9, 2009. She had won a January 24, 2009 special election convention, defeating Assemblyman Michael J...
, who had earlier been selected by a party convention to succeed Leonard Lance
Leonard Lance
Leonard Lance is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the New Jersey Senate and the New Jersey General Assembly....
after his election to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, and he was sworn in on November 23, 2009. He had previously served in the New Jersey 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...
from 2002 to 2009.
Biography
Doherty was born in Point Pleasant, New JerseyPoint Pleasant, New Jersey
Point Pleasant is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 18,392...
and currently resides in Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey
Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey
Washington Township is a Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 6,651. It is part of the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley. It is one of six municipalities in New Jersey under the name Washington...
.
Doherty grew up in Glen Ridge, New Jersey
Glen Ridge, New Jersey
Glen Ridge is a borough in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,527. In 2010, Glen Ridge was ranked as the 38th Best Place to live by New Jersey Monthly magazine....
and graduated from Glen Ridge High School
Glen Ridge High School
Glen Ridge High School is a comprehensive six-year public high school serving students in grades 7-12 in Glen Ridge, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Glen Ridge Public Schools. GRHS is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education.Excellence in academic...
in 1981. In 1985, Doherty graduated with a B.S. from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, and was commissioned as an officer in the Field Artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
. Doherty served on active duty in the United States Army from 1985–1989 and in the United States Army Reserve from 1989–1993. He achieved the rank of Captain. He is a graduate of the U.S. Airborne School, the U.S. Army Jungle School and the Defense Language Institute (German). In the Army, he was stationed in Germany and served as a nuclear operations officer. His unit's mission was to utilize nuclear armed missiles to defend Western Europe and NATO forces from possible Soviet aggression. He was granted a Top Secret clearance to perform his nuclear duties.
Doherty and his wife, Linda, have three sons, who have served or are serving on active duty in different branches of the armed forces: Matthew, U.S. Army; Ryan, U.S. Marine Corps; and Jared, U.S. Air Force.
In 1993, he was awarded 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 Seton Hall University School of Law
Seton Hall University School of Law
The Seton Hall University School of Law is part of Seton Hall University, and is located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Seton Hall Law School is the only private law school in New Jersey, and is the top-ranked of the three law schools in the state...
. Doherty is a patent attorney, specializing in semiconductor and medical device technology.
Elected Office
Board of Chosen Freeholders: Doherty served for a period on the Warren CountyWarren County, New Jersey
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere...
Board of Chosen Freeholders
Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...
. In 2000, Doherty defeated the incumbent Freeholder Director, a Democrat, to capture control of the Freeholder Board for the Republican Party. In 2001, he served as Deputy Director of the Freeholder Board. He was elected to serve as the Director of the Freeholder Board in both 2002 and 2003. During his three years on the Freeholder Board, Doherty cut the county tax rate by 21%. Doherty also began a program to reduce the county debt so that today Warren County has the lowest debt of any county in the state. He also prevailed in a showdown with a Superior Court judge who threatened to jail Doherty unless he issued $5 million in bonds to fund an expansion of the local county college. The showdown was eventually decided by the New Jersey Supreme Court
New Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
, which sided with Doherty and held that the Freeholder Board was correct to ignore the judge's order.
General Assembly: Doherty was elected to the New Jersey 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...
in 2001, and was re-elected in 2003, 2005 and 2007. He served in the Assembly on the Appropriations Committee and the Labor Committee. Early in his Assembly career, he served on the Agriculture Committee, the Housing and the Local Government Committee, and the State House Commission.
State Senate: In November 2008, Doherty announced his intention to run for the State Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
seat vacated by Leonard Lance
Leonard Lance
Leonard Lance is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the New Jersey Senate and the New Jersey General Assembly....
, who was elected to represent the 7th congressional district
New Jersey's 7th congressional district
New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Leonard Lance.In the 2008 election, Mike Ferguson did not seek another term. Linda Stender won the Democratic nomination unopposed, while Republican primary voters chose State Senator Leonard Lance in a field of...
in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Doherty's opponent in the race was Assemblywoman Marcia A. Karrow
Marcia A. Karrow
Marcia A. Karrow is an American Republican Party politician who served in the New Jersey State Senate where she represented the 23rd legislative district, having taken office on February 9, 2009. She had won a January 24, 2009 special election convention, defeating Assemblyman Michael J...
. Hunterdon County Freeholder Matt Holt originally planned to run for the vacancy as well, but dropped out to run for one of the Assembly vacancies opened up by Karrow or Doherty. On January 24, 2009, a special election was held by a convention of Republican committee members from Hunterdon
Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 128,349. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington....
and Warren
Warren County, New Jersey
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere...
counties. Karrow defeated Doherty in the special election by a margin of 195 votes to 143. Doherty announced that he would run against Karrow a second time in the June 2009 primary, when she would be running as the incumbent. Doherty gave up his Assembly seat by opposing Karrow in the primary. On June 2, 2009, Doherty defeated Karrow in the Republican Senate primary by a margin of 52%-48%. He defeated the Democratic candidate Harvey Baron in a special election on November 3, 2009 to fill the remaining two years of the Senate term, garnering 71% of the vote. He was sworn into office on November 23, 2009. In the Senate, Doherty serves on the Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Labor Committee. . Doherty was re-elected to his Senate seat in November 2011.
Endorsements and Recognitions
Doherty has been endorsed repeatedly by pro-business groups such as the New Jersey Business and Industry AssociationNew Jersey Business and Industry Association
The New Jersey Business & Industry Association is an employer association providing information, services and advocacy for its member companies in order to build a more prosperous New Jersey. It is the state's largest business association with 23,000 member companies, as of 2006...
, the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, the New Jersey Restaurant Association and the National Federation of Independent Business
National Federation of Independent Business
The National Federation of Independent Business is a lobbying organization with its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee and offices in Washington, D.C. USA, and in all 50 state capitals...
(awarded a perfect 100% voting record by the NFIB). His voting record is ranked A+ by the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
and has been repeatedly endorsed by New Jersey Right to Life. Doherty is an outspoken critic of the court system, and has introduced numerous pieces of legislation challenging court decisions and procedures. He was designated as "Legislator of the Year" in 2007 by the N.J. Family Policy Council for his continued efforts to support conservative legislation. Doherty is a self-described global warming skeptic.
District 23
Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey SenateNew Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
and two members in the New Jersey 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...
. The other representatives from the 23rd District for the 2010–2011 Legislative Session are:
- Assemblyman John DiMaioJohn DiMaioJohn DiMaio is an American Republican Party politician, who was selected on February 21, 2009 to fill the New Jersey General Assembly seat for the 23rd legislative district vacated by Marcia A. Karrow, after Karrow filled the vacancy for the New Jersey Senate in the same district...
- Assemblyman Erik PetersonErik PetersonErik C. Peterson is an American Republican Party politician who serves in the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 23rd legislative district. Peterson, who previously served on the Hunterdon County Board of Chosen Freeholders, replaced Assemblyman Michael J. Doherty, who was elected to...
2012 election
There has been speculation that Doherty will run against incumbent Bob Menendez for United States SenatorUnited States Senate election in New Jersey, 2012
The 2012 United States Senate election in New Jersey will take place on November 6, 2012 concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S...
. Assemblyman John DiMaio
John DiMaio
John DiMaio is an American Republican Party politician, who was selected on February 21, 2009 to fill the New Jersey General Assembly seat for the 23rd legislative district vacated by Marcia A. Karrow, after Karrow filled the vacancy for the New Jersey Senate in the same district...
from the same legislative district as Doherty has said he would endorse Doherty if he ran.
Endorsements of Ron Paul
On November 10, 2007, Doherty became the first elected official from the state of New Jersey to publicly endorse Ron PaulRon Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
for President of the United States.
In 2011, Doherty endorsed Paul for President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in the 2012 election
United States presidential election, 2012
The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...
.
External links
- Senator Michael Doherty's Official Website
- Senator Doherty's legislative web page, New Jersey LegislatureNew Jersey LegislatureThe New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
- New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
- Senator Michael J. Doherty, Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003