Steve Sweeney
Senate President
Third Legislative District
Senate President Steve Sweeney represents the Third Legislative District, which includes portions of Gloucester and Cumberland counties and all of Salem County.
First elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2001, he has been reelected three times. He was chosen by the Democratic Majority to lead the Senate in the 214th Legislature in November 2009, and took the oath as Senate President on January 12, 2010.
Senator Sweeney served on the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1997 to 2010 and was Freeholder Director from 1998 until 2010.
As Senate President, he has taken a leading role in promoting property tax relief and refocusing the state’s fiscal priorities. In 2011, Senator Sweeney proposed sweeping reforms to the public employee pension and health benefits systems that will save taxpayers over $120 billion over a 30 year period. The reforms have been hailed as a national model for other states. Senator Sweeney was also instrumental in crafting the state’s new two-percent property tax cap and leading efforts to reform the state’s public employee pension and benefits laws, and in efforts to reform the arbitration procedures for police and fire contract disputes. Under Senate President Sweeney’s leadership, the Senate is also moving fully into the digital age and is poised to become the State House’s first “paperless” legislative chamber. In 2011, Senator Sweeney was named as a “Politician Who’s Ahead of the Curve” by Philadelphia Magazine for his continued support of shared services between local government units.
An ironworker by trade, Senate President Sweeney has been a strong advocate for organized labor and the rights of workers. He has sponsored laws to raise New Jersey’s minimum wage and create the state’s Paid Family Leave program. In 2010, Senator Sweeney helped design and pass thirty bills, known collectively as “Back to Work NJ,” that aimed to help create jobs and economic growth in New Jersey. The Senator also has sponsored numerous laws to strengthen the ability of law enforcement to protect children from sex offenders and protect the families of police officers, firefighters and emergency services personnel killed in the line of duty.
A tireless advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities, Senator Sweeney sponsored laws that removed references to “retardation” in state statutes and created a statewide registry of offenders who abused individuals with developmental disabilities.
The Senate President sponsored the new law that expands the development of offshore wind energy, making New Jersey a leader in the development of this alternative energy source and paving the way for the state to become the nation’s wind-energy manufacturing hub. Previously, he led the fight to ban the hazardous gasoline additive MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) which has been proven to contaminate ground water and private wells. Senator Sweeney also is a strong supporter of farmland and open space preservation, and has worked to deliver funding for communities throughout New Jersey to protect pristine land from development.
Senator Sweeney is active in a variety of local organizations and has received numerous accolades from business leaders, volunteer organizations, labor advocates, environmentalists and other important organizations from around New Jersey, including the 2009 Partners in Advocacy Award from the Arc of New Jersey and the 2009 Legislative Excellence Award from the New Jersey Council of County Colleges. In April 2010, Senator Sweeney was honored by the New Jersey Travel Industry Association with their Friend of Tourism Award. Senate President Sweeney was also presented the Outstanding State Legislator Award by the NJ Veterans of Foreign Wars in January 2011. On April 28, 2011, Senator Sweeney was presented with the Legislator of the Year Award by the New Jersey Conference of Mayors. Senator Sweeney was also honored in 2011 as “Person of the Year” by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Construction Managers Association of America (CMAA). In 2011, he was named as a “Legislator of the Year” by the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. On September 22, 2011, Senator Sweeney was honored as “Regional Leader of the Year” by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. In December 2011, Senator Sweeney was honored with the “Paul L. Troast Public Service Award” by the NJ Business and Industry Association for his efforts to help spur economic growth and job creation in New Jersey.
Senator Sweeney was born on June 11, 1959 in Camden and is a graduate of Pennsauken High School. He is currently the General Organizer for the International Association of Ironworkers.
Senator Sweeney and his wife, Patti, were married in 1986. They live in West Deptford with their two children, Stephen and Lauren.
