Anthony R. Bucco (February 24, 1938 – September 16, 2019) was an American

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

politician who served in the

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. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...

from 1998, where he represented the 25th Legislative District until his death. Bucco served as Co-Majority Leader in the

with Republican Robert Singer and Democrat Bernard Kenny when both Republicans and Democrats had 20 seats in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

he previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1995 to 1998. His son

Tony Bucco Anthony Mark Bucco (born April 12, 1962) is an American Republican Party politician currently serving as the State Senator for New Jersey's 25th Legislative District. Bucco is an attorney who currently serves on the Morris County Republican Co ...

was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly and was named to succeed him in the State Senate.

Personal life

Bucco was born on February 24, 1938, and lived in the town of

Boonton Boonton is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 8,815, an increase of 468 (+5.6%) from the 2010 census count of 8,347, which in turn reflected a decline of 149 (− ...

for most of his life. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1957 until 1965. Bucco later resided in Boonton Township, New Jersey. He married the former Helen Jayne in 1959 and had one son,

Anthony Mark Tony Mark (also known as Anthony Mark) is an American film producer, director and screenwriter. He has worked with Kathryn Bigelow and Robert Rodriguez. Mark was a producer of ''And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself'', which won an Imagen Award ...

. On February 8, 2019, Bucco was diagnosed with throat cancer and was admitted to the hospital. On September 16, 2019, Bucco died of a heart attack at age 81.

Morris County politics

Bucco served in various local offices before entering the

State Legislature A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

. He served on the town of Boonton's Board of Aldermen from 1978 through 1983, served as the town's mayor from 1984 through 1989, and was elected to the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1989 through 1992. Bucco also served on the steering committee of the Morris County Economic Development Commission.Senator Bucco's legislative web page

New Jersey Legislature The 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 ...

. Accessed July 4, 2015.

New Jersey General Assembly

In the 2009 legislative elections, Anthony was elected to the seat in the General Assembly previously held by his father. Before entering the Senate, Bucco served in the

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

, the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the New Jersey Legislature, from 1995 to 1998, where he served as Assistant Majority Whip from 1996 to 1998. Bucco was first selected by district Republican committee and sworn in January 1995, to fill the remainder of the unexpired term of

Rodney P. Frelinghuysen Rodney Procter Frelinghuysen (born April 29, 1946) is an American former politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for from 1995 to 2019. The district includes most of Morris County, an affluent suburban county west of New ...

, who resigned his Assembly seat following his election to Congress. During the unexpired term, he served alongside

Arthur R. Albohn Arthur Raymond Albohn (December 27, 1921 – June 29, 2008) was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician who served eight terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, from 1980 to 1996, where he represented the N ...

in the 25th district. In his first Republican primary, Bucco and running mate Michael Patrick Carroll defeated his successor in the Assembly Rick Merkt and then-Freeholder Chris Christie along with two other candidates. Bucco and Carroll were easily elected in the general election and served one full two-year term.

New Jersey Senate

Elections

In the 1997 Senate election, Bucco defeated one-term incumbent Democratic Senator

Gordon MacInnes Gordon A. MacInnes (born December 4, 1941) is an American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey who has served twice in the state Legislature. MacInnes was elected to the state Assembly in 1973 in a heavily Republican Morris County distr ...

. Democrat Rupande Mehta is challenging Bucco for the June 8, 2021 senate primary. Mehta also ran against Bucco in the 2020 general election.

Tenure

In the Senate Bucco has served as Assistant Majority Leader from 2000 to 2002, Majority Leader from 2002 to 2004, Leader Assistant Minority Leader from 2006 to 2008, Deputy Minority Leader from 2008 to 2010, Republican Budget Officer from 2010 to 2019; he served as Chair of the Republican Conference at the time of his death.

Committees

*Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens *Labor *Intergovernmental Relations

Electoral history

New Jersey Senate

New Jersey Assembly

References

External links

Senator Anthony Bucco's Official SiteSenator Bucco's legislative web page

*''New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bucco, Anthony 1938 births 2019 deaths American people of Italian descent Mayors of places in New Jersey Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly County commissioners in New Jersey Democratic Party New Jersey state senators People from Boonton, New Jersey People from Boonton Township, New Jersey 21st-century American politicians