Hazel Sara Frank Gluck (born September 6, 1934) is an American Republican Party politician and

lobbyist In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...

who served in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...

and held several posts in the cabinet of Governor

Thomas Kean Thomas Howard Kean ( ; born April 21, 1935) is an American businessman, academic administrator and politician. A member of the Republican Party, Kean served as the 48th governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. Following his tenure as governor, ...

. She was a top advisor to NJ Governor Christine Todd Whitman as well as a founding member of one of NJ's largest lobbying firms.

Early life

Gluck was born in New York City, the only daughter of Jewish immigrants from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. She was raised in Brooklyn and Westchester, and graduated from A.B. Davis High School in

Mount Vernon, New York Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is an inner suburb of New York City, immediately to the north of the Borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx. As of t ...

. She is a 1956 graduate of the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in Ann Arbor. She married Joseph Gluck, a physician, and had two children: Deborah (born 1957) and Michael (born 1959).

Political career

A resident of

Lakewood Township, New Jersey Lakewood Township is the most populous township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A rapidly growing community as of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 135,158 representing an increase of 41,415 (+45.5% ...

, Gluck became active in the

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

and served as President of the chapter in Lakewood. She became active in Ocean County Republican politics as a protege of Joseph Buckalew, who had served as Lakewood Mayor, Ocean County Freeholder and Republican County Chairman. She was later appointed Director of the Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs. In 1976, Gluck was elected to the Ocean County Board of Freeholders. She defeated a Democratic incumbent who was elected in the 1973 Watergate landslide. Her election gave the Republicans control of the Freeholder Board, which they have held since then. Gluck gave up her Freeholder seat to run for the

in 1979. She defeated three-term Democratic Assemblyman Daniel F. Newman by 697 votes, 37,221-36,524. In 1981, Gluck gave up her Assembly seat and challenged two-term Democratic State Senator John F. Russo. Russo won easily, defeating Gluck by 11,233 votes, 38,166 (59%) to 26,933 (41%). Gluck later called her Senate bid a "stupid" mistake, saying that Russo had done a good job and there was no reason to throw him out. For a brief time in late 1981 and early 1982, Gluck served as the Ocean County Administrator, as the replacement for

Frank B. Holman General Frank B. Holman (August 17, 1930 – December 2, 2005) was an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey and was an advisor to many of the party's candidates. Biography Holman was born on August 17, 1930, and raised in Ocean C ...

, who had become Executive Director of the

New Jersey Republican State Committee The New Jersey Republican State Committee (NJGOP) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New Jersey. It was founded in 1880 and is currently led by Bob Hugin. Current leadership * Bob Hugin, Chairman * Lynda A. Pagliughli, V ...

Kean administration

After taking office in January 1982, Governor Tom Kean appointed Gluck to serve as Executive Director of the

New Jersey Lottery The New Jersey Lottery is run by the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its In-house draw games are: Pick-3, Pick-4, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-6, Quick Draw, and Cash Pop. Its multi-jurisdictional draw games are: Cash4Life, Mega Millions, and Powerball. The ...

Commission. She was appointed Commissioner of Insurance in 1985, and Commissioner of Transportation in 1987. She also served as a Commissioner of the

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorized ...

from 1987 to 1993.

Gubernatorial candidate

Toward the end of Kean's second term, Gluck began to explore a possible bid for the Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey in 1989. She was considered a potential gubernatorial candidate in 1993, but instead backed Christine Todd Whitman, who won. She was a top advisor to Whitman, both in her campaign and in her administration.

Lobbyist

Gluck resigned as state Transportation Commissioner on July 7, 1989, to form a lobbying firm, Public Policy Advisors, Inc., with former state Department of Environmental Protection Assistant Commissioner Sidney Ytkin. She later formed GluckShaw in a partnership with Judy Shaw. Shaw resigned from the firm in 1994 to become Governor Whitman's Chief of Staff. In 2003, the firm merged with Martin-Bontempo-Matacera-Bartlett, Inc., to become MBI-GluckShaw, which became one of the state's largest lobbying firms. She is now retired.

Gay rights activist

Gluck was married to Joseph Gluck, M.D. for 25 years before divorcing in 1981. In 2013, at age 78, she announced that she was gay. In 2013, she attempted to lobby New Jersey Governor

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in Ne ...

to support marriage equality.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gluck, Hazel 1934 births Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Jewish American state legislators in New Jersey American LGBT rights activists Living people Women state legislators in New Jersey LGBT state legislators in New Jersey Lesbian politicians Lesbian Jews American lesbians County commissioners in New Jersey People from Lakewood Township, New Jersey Politicians from Ocean County, New Jersey New Jersey Commissioners of Transportation 20th-century American politicians American people of British-Jewish descent University of Michigan alumni 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century American women politicians 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews 20th-century American LGBT people 21st-century American LGBT people