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Kathleen Cooley

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This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Kathleen Cooley
Image of Kathleen Cooley

Independent

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 5, 2019

Education

Associate

Brookdale Community College

Personal
Birthplace
Chicago, Ill.

Kathleen Cooley (independent) ran for election to the New Jersey General Assembly to represent District 7. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2019.

Cooley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Kathleen Cooley was born in Chicago, Illinois. She received her paralegal associate degree from Brookdale Community College in 1991. Cooley's professional experience includes working as a paralegal in the New Jersey Attorney General's office. She has been associated with Communications Workers of America and the NAACP Willingboro and Vicinity Chapter.[1]

Elections

2019

See also: New Jersey General Assembly elections, 2019

General election

General election for New Jersey General Assembly District 7 (2 seats)

Incumbent Carol Murphy and incumbent Herbert C. Conaway Jr. defeated Peter Miller and Kathleen Cooley in the general election for New Jersey General Assembly District 7 on November 5, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Carol Murphy
Carol Murphy (D) Candidate Connection
 
37.7
 
29,886
✔
Image of Herbert C. Conaway Jr.
Herbert C. Conaway Jr. (D)
 
37.5
 
29,709
Image of Peter Miller
Peter Miller (R) Candidate Connection
 
22.7
 
17,957
Image of Kathleen Cooley
Kathleen Cooley (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
2.2
 
1,723

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 79,275
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 7 (2 seats)

Incumbent Herbert C. Conaway Jr. and incumbent Carol Murphy advanced from the Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 7 on June 4, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Herbert C. Conaway Jr.
Herbert C. Conaway Jr.
 
50.9
 
8,984
✔
Image of Carol Murphy
Carol Murphy Candidate Connection
 
49.1
 
8,664

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 17,648
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 7 (2 seats)

Peter Miller advanced from the Republican primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 7 on June 4, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Peter Miller
Peter Miller Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
2,479

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 2,479
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Kathleen Cooley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cooley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I am most passionate about the public policies listed above in my "key messages." Those policies being reforming the tax incentive programs under the Economic Opportunity Act by making it more fair and transparent, and leveling the playing field for small businesses; fully funding our public worker pensions and giving public workers the respect they are due, as well as protecting their right to bargain their working conditions and benefits; reining in runaway property taxes by getting the wealthiest among us to pay their fair share towards the state's budget.
I look up to strong women who spend their free time doing things for their community. I have a dear friend who has organized amazing fundraisers for women's organizations and for a local food pantry - all while holding a full-time job and raising her kids! I have another dear friend who volunteers nearly every night for a local animal rescue, again while holding down a full-time job. I think people who go above and beyond, who juggle work and home responsibilities with volunteer responsibilities show us how we can all make a difference. They may not get national recognition for what they do, but when you add it all up, they make an extraordinary positive impact on all our lives.
Runaway Inequality, by Les Leopold.
An elected official should be honest and open about everything they do connected to their work as a public servant. They should be easily accessible to their constituents, and should be responsive to their concerns. They should return phone calls and respond to letters and emails. They should meet regularly with constituents.
I am a hard worker, an "above and beyond" sort of public employee. As a shop steward, I am a passionate advocate for my fellow employees. When I don't know something to which someone calls my attention, I research it so I can effectively address the issue. I'm very determined, and, once I get involved with something, I don't give up until it's done. I keep my word, and do what I say I'm going to do. I think these are qualities that will serve me well as a member of the Assembly.
Members of the Assembly are responsible for proposing new laws based on issues affecting the residents of the State. They are responsible for reviewing the State budget and working with the Governor to bring about programs that will benefit New Jersey residents.
I would like to be remembered as someone who genuinely cares and who gives my all to whatever cause I am involved with.
I vividly remember when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. I was only five years old.
My first jobs were working as a waitress in various chain and local restaurants. I did this work after graduating from high school and also after I got married and after my son was born. When my son was in kindergarten, I got a job with the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, where I worked for almost five years. I also attended Brookdale Community College at night where I obtained my Paralegal Degree. After graduating from Brookdale, I got my job in the Attorney General's Office.
Right now, I would have to say Leaving Time, by Jodi Picoult. I learned so much about elephants; it made me appreciate and want to protect them even more.
The Good Fairy in The Wizard of Oz, so I could wave a magic wand and make everything better!
Probably something by Led Zeppelin
As a new state worker and single mother, back in the early 1990s, I struggled to keep a roof over our heads. Fortunately, my hard work was appreciated and it didn't take long for me to get promoted. Still, it wasn't until 20 years later that I was able to finally buy a house. Under the Christie Administration, it was very difficult to keep up with property taxes and everything else involved in the cost of living in New Jersey when our salaries were stagnant and our benefits kept getting more expensive.
I think one of the most important differences between our New Jersey Senate and Assembly is the ability of Assembly members to be more connected to the people in their districts. I also think, since there are two Assembly members for each district, it's possible to have people from separate parties representing their districts, which can be a way for the parties to work together cooperatively for the public's interests.
I believe it is beneficial for the State of New Jersey for its legislators to come from all walks of life, and I think candidates without previous political experience can be a necessary breath of fresh air from ugly party politics. I think many of our legislators are much too cozy with wealthy influencers who are not serving the general public.
I think our greatest challenge for New Jersey will be getting its finances in order, and getting the burdens of those finances spread out more fairly across all levels of income.
I believe the ideal relationship between a governor and the legislature is one of collaboration and cooperation, done wtih utmost respect for both. Both sides need to remember for whom they work.
It's absolutely critical to build relationships with other legislators! When you have like-minded legislators who want to work together, that only benefits the people of the state. In my work, I see great success when we work together as a team, and I think the same can be accomplished in the legislature.
I would want to be part of any environmental committee, since caring for our environment is a major passion of mine. I would also be interested in any labor committees, since I am an advocate for working people.
I am running as an Independent because I specifically reject the party bosses who do not have the best interests of New Jersey's working families at heart. As long as party leadership remains connected to these party bosses, I would not be interested in joining the leadership.
Not sure.
No.
I spoke with a gentleman in Burlington City, a young father, who told me about his concerns for his children, and for the lack of worthwhile activities for black youth in the area. The discussion meant a lot to me, and I want to work hard on this problem, whether I'm elected or not.

I also heard very briefly from a teacher when I was in Mt. Holly. I don't know where she was from, but she'd been teaching for a long enough time that she told me Chapter 78 (the law that changed the way public workers paid for their healthcare benefits, among other things) ruined her life. Chapter 78 should be viewed as a complete embarrassment for the Legislature responsible for passing it. While public workers were forced to pay more for healthcare, gave up their rights to bargain it, and had their pension benefits altered, the part that would have forced the STATE to make required payments to reduce the unfunded liability was challenged in court by the Christie Administration. Eventually the NJ Supreme Court struck down that portion of the law. The Legislature should be ashamed of this.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Footnotes

  1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 23, 2019


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