Gabriel M. Ambrosio (October 26, 1938 – March 28, 2013) was an American
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
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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, ...
Jersey City
Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Lyndhurst graduating from
Lyndhurst High School
Lyndhurst High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Lyndhurst, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the Lyndhurst Scho ...
. He earned a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
from
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
in 1960 and a law degree from
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan un ...
in 1964. He opened a law firm in Lyndhurst where he served as counsel to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission. In 1980, he sought the Democratic nomination for the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
Henry Helstoski
Henry Helstoski (March 21, 1925 – December 16, 1999) was an American politician. Helstoski, a Democrat, represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives for twelve years, lasting from 1965 until 1977. He was the representati ...
. However, he was defeated by incumbent RepublicanHarold Hollenbeck in the November general election.
In 1987, incumbent 36th district State Senator Joseph Hirkala died. Ambrosio was the Democratic nominee for the March 24 special election to fill the vacant seat. Ambrosio defeated incumbent 36th district Republican Assemblyman
Paul DiGaetano
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by capturing approximately 60% of the vote. In the regular general election in November that year, he faced a much closer challenge from the other Republican member of the Assembly,
Kathleen Donovan
Kathleen A. Donovan (born 1952) is an American Republican Party politician, who served as County Executive of Bergen County, New Jersey. She previously served as County Clerk of Bergen County, New Jersey for four terms, and one term in the Ne ...
, but he defeated her 51%-49%. While in the Senate, he led a special panel investigating the tolls and expenditures of the
New Jersey Highway Authority
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge Town ...
(then the operators of the Garden State Parkway). He also expressed concern about casino owners, including
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
, raising the possibility of running for office in
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
by virtue of owning the casinos there. Ambrosio generally compiled a liberal voting record including championing living will legislation, gun control, gay rights, and insurance reform matters.
In 1991, redistricting changed the boundaries of the 36th district by removing Ridgefield and Garfield and adding the more conservative Essex County municipalities of Nutley and Belleville. This in addition to Ambrosio's support of Governor
James Florio
James Joseph Florio (August 29, 1937 – September 25, 2022) was an American politician who served as the 49th governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994. He was previously the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 1st congressional district from 19 ...
's unpopular tax increases led to his defeat by Republican
John P. Scott
John P. Scott (June 12, 1933 – May 21, 2010) was an American Republican Party politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 1992 to 1998 where he represented the 36th Legislative District, which covered Passaic and portions of south ...
in November. In 1993, he sought a rematch against Scott but was again defeated. He died of cancer on March 28, 2013, at the age of 74.