Robert J. Smullen (born July 29, 1968) is an American politician from the state of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, Smullen has represented the 118th district of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

, covering parts of the North Country and

Mohawk Valley The Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains, northwest of the Capital District. As of the 2010 United States Census, th ...

, since 2019.

Career

Smullen served 24 years with the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

, retiring in 2015 at the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. He was a

White House Fellow The White House Fellows program is a federal fellowship program established via Executive Order by President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1964, based upon a suggestion from John W. Gardner, then the president of Carnegie Corp ...

in the Office of the

Secretary of Energy The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and fifteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was created on October 1, 1977, when Pr ...

in 2003 and 2004, and more recently worked as the executive director of the

Hudson River–Black River Regulating District The Hudson River–Black River Regulating District (HRBRRD) is a New York state public-benefit corporation that traces its formation to the creation of the Black River Regulating District in 1919, and the Hudson River Regulating District in 1922 ...

Electoral history

In April 2018, after longtime Republican Assemblyman Marc W. Butler announced his retirement, Smullen launched his campaign for the 118th Assembly district. Smullen defeated businessman Patrick Vincent in the Republican primary, and bested

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Keith Rubino in the November general election with 63% of the vote.

Tax violations

In July 2018, while running for the Assembly, Smullen was arrested after he accepted a tax exemption for veterans on two residences at once, a felony. Maintaining that the double filing had been a mistake, Smullen pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in May 2019 after he paid back the town of

Niskayuna Niskayuna is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 23,278 at the 2020 census. The town is located in the southeast part of the county, east of the city of Schenectady, and is the easternmost town in the county. ...

for the missing property tax.

Personal life

Smullen lives on a farm in Johnstown with his wife, Megan, and their three children.His son, AJ, died in March 2024 after sustaining injuries in a car accident.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smullen, Robert Living people People from Johnstown, New York Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly 21st-century American legislators The Citadel alumni Georgetown University alumni Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy alumni 1968 births