Robert Gordon (New Jersey)
Robert Gordon was a member of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. He assumed office in 2018. He left office on March 15, 2023.
Gordon (Democratic Party) ran for election to the New Jersey State Senate to represent District 38. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on June 8, 2021.
Gordon is a former Democratic member of the New Jersey State Senate, representing District 38. Gordon was elected to the chamber in 2007 and was re-elected to a new term in 2017. He stepped down on April 4, 2018.
Gordon also served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004 to 2007. He served as speaker of the General Assembly in 2006.[1]
Biography
Gordon earned his B.A. in political economy from Williams College, his M.P.P. from the University of California at Berkeley, and his M.B.A in finance and healthcare management from the University of Pennsylvania.[2] His professional experience includes working as a management consultant at Emergency Management Advisors, Limited Liability Corporation.
Political career
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (2018-2023)
Gordon began serving on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on April 14, 2018.
Gordon left office on March 15, 2023, following the conclusion of his term. He was not re-appointed to a new term by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D). Gordon was replaced by Christine Guhl-Sadovy. [3]
New Jersey State Senate (2008-2018)
Gordon represented District 38 in the New Jersey State Senate from 2008 to 2018.
Committee assignments
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Gordon served on the following committees:
| New Jersey committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Legislative Oversight, Chair |
| • Transportation, Vice-Chair |
| • Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens |
2014 legislative session
In the 2014 legislative session, Gordon served on the following committees:
| New Jersey committee assignments, 2014 |
|---|
| • Legislative Oversight, Chair |
| • Transportation, Vice-Chair |
| • Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens |
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Gordon served on the following committees:
| New Jersey committee assignments, 2010 |
|---|
| • Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation, Vice-Chair |
| • Environment |
| • Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens |
New Jersey General Assembly (2004-2007)
Gordon served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004 to 2007.
Elections
2021
See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2021
General election
General election for New Jersey State Senate District 38
Incumbent Joseph Lagana defeated Richard Garcia in the general election for New Jersey State Senate District 38 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Joseph Lagana (D) | 52.9 | 34,895 |
| Richard Garcia (R) | 47.1 | 31,069 | ||
| Total votes: 65,964 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Jersey State Senate District 38
Incumbent Joseph Lagana advanced from the Democratic primary for New Jersey State Senate District 38 on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joseph Lagana | 100.0 | 6,564 |
| Total votes: 6,564 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- John Girgenti (D)
- Robert Gordon (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Jersey State Senate District 38
Richard Garcia advanced from the Republican primary for New Jersey State Senate District 38 on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Richard Garcia | 100.0 | 5,484 | |
| Total votes: 5,484 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2017
- See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2017
General election
Elections for the New Jersey State Senate took place in 2017. All 40 seats were up for election. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 6, 2017. The filing deadline for the primary election was April 3, 2017.[4][5] Incumbent Robert Gordon (D) defeated Kelly Langschultz (R) in the New Jersey State Senate District 38 general election.[6][7]
| New Jersey State Senate, District 38 General Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Robert Gordon Incumbent |
57.06% | 30,881 | |
| Republican | Kelly Langschultz | 42.94% | 23,238 | |
| Total Votes | 54,119 | |||
| Source: New Jersey Department of State | ||||
Races we watched
Ballotpedia identified five races to watch in the New Jersey State Senate 2017 elections: four Democratic seats and one Republican seat. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.
This district was a Race to Watch because the incumbent won less than 55 percent of the vote in the most recent general election prior to 2017. Incumbent Robert Gordon (D), first elected in 2007, won re-election in 2013 by 3.8 points and in 2011 by 6.0 points. In the 2013 elections, he defeated Fernando A. Alonso (R) 51.9 to 48.1 percent. District 38 was one of 28 New Jersey state legislative districts that Democrat Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton carried District 38 by 9.4 points. Democrat Barack Obama won the seat in the 2012 presidential election by 10.1 points. As of 2017, District 38 included Bergen and Passaic counties.
Democratic primary election
Incumbent Robert Gordon ran unopposed in the New Jersey State Senate District 38 Democratic primary election.[8]
| New Jersey State Senate, District 38 Democratic Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | ||
| Robert Gordon Incumbent | ||
| Source: New Jersey Department of State | ||
Republican primary election
Kelly Langschultz ran unopposed in the New Jersey State Senate District 38 Republican primary election.[8]
| New Jersey State Senate, District 38 Republican Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | ||
| Kelly Langschultz | ||
| Source: New Jersey Department of State | ||
2013
- See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2013
Gordon won re-election in the 2013 election for New Jersey State Senate District 38. Gordon was unopposed in the June 4 Democratic primary and defeated Fernando A. Alonso (R) in the general election on November 5, 2013.[9][10][11][12]
| New Jersey State Senate, District 38 General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Robert Gordon Incumbent |
51.9% | 27,779 | |
| Republican | Fernando A. Alonso | 48.1% | 25,767 | |
| Total Votes | 53,546 | |||
2011
- See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2011
Gordon won re-election to the District 38 State Senate seat in 2011. He faced no opposition for the June 7 Democratic primary election. Gordon defeated John Driscoll, Jr. (R) in the general election, which took place on November 8, 2011.[13]
| New Jersey State Senate District 38 General Election, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Robert Gordon Incumbent |
53% | 22,299 | |
| Republican | John Driscoll, Jr. | 47% | 19,745 | |
| Total Votes | 42,044 | |||
2007
- See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2007
In 2007, Gordon was elected to the New Jersey State Senate District 38. Gordon (D) finished with 22,341 votes and was followed by Robert Colletti (R) with 14,949 votes. Gordon raised $372,441 for his campaign fund.[14]
| New Jersey Senate 2007 General Election, District 38 (2007) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Robert Gordon (D)
|
22,351 | |||
| Robert Colletti (R) | 14,949 | |||
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Robert Gordon did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2011
In a questionnaire for the League of Women Voters of New Jersey Education Fund, Gordon discussed the following issues:[15]
| “ |
Excerpt: "I believe we should increase funding for the Homestead Rebate program, specifically for low and middle-income households. However, I think other measures must be taken to reduce property taxes. I am a leading advocate of shared services and consolidation. I have sponsored several bills that would help facilitate shared services and make it easier for towns to consolidate."
Excerpt: "For small companies that have difficulty obtaining financing, we need to enact the Democratic jobs package that provides financial incentives for hiring and capital investment. For larger companies that are now flush with cash, but reluctant to invest in jobs because of uncertain demand, we need to promote consumer spending. I would increase disposable income and consumption by investing in construction projects that would enhance or repair our physical infrastructure."
Excerpt: "Over the past two years, public school funding has been drastically cut. Therefore, I would find it very problematic to divert scarce public funds to private schools. I am also troubled by the fact that the public sector would be subsidizing religious schools."
Excerpt: "I supported the millionaire’s tax which would have generated roughly $600 million for the State and helped offset cuts in school and municipal aid. Longer-term, we need to achieve significant economies in local government. With 566 municipalities, 616 school districts, and hundreds of utility authorities, we have tremendous redundancy in government, particularly at the administrative level."
Excerpt: " I am a strong supporter of protecting family women’s health services. Thousands of low-income New Jersey residents rely on family planning agencies for vital health care services."[16] |
” |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of New Jersey scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2018
In 2018, the New Jersey State Legislature was in session from January 9 through January 8, 2019.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the 217th New Jersey State Legislature, second annual session, was in session from January 10 through January 9, 2018.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the 217th New Jersey State Legislature, first annual session, was in session from January 12 through January 10, 2017.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the 216th New Jersey State Legislature, second annual session, was in session from January 13 through December 31.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the 216th New Jersey State Legislature, first annual session, was in session from January 14 through January 12, 2015.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the 215th New Jersey State Legislature, second annual session, was in session from January 10 to January 13, 2014.
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the 215th New Jersey State Legislature, first annual session, was in session from January 10 to January 9, 2013.
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Endorsements
2013
In 2013, Gordon’s endorsements included the following:[17]
- New Jersey State AFL-CIO
2011
In 2011, Gordon’s endorsements included the following:[18]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Gordon and his wife, Gail, currently reside in Paterson, New Jersey.
See also
- New Jersey State Senate
- Senate Committees
- New Jersey State Legislature
- Joint Committees
- New Jersey state legislative districts
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2021 Elections
External links
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Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ New Jersey State Legislature, "Biography of Robert Gordon," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ ‘’New Jersey Globe, "Murphy names two new BPU picks to replace Gordon and Solomon," March 6, 2023
- ↑ New Jersey Secretary of State, "2017 Primary Election Timeline," accessed March 21, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official List, Candidate for State Senate for Primary Election, June 6, 2017," accessed April 13, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Candidates for State Senate for General Election 11/07/2017 Election," accessed September 14, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2017 official general election results," accessed November 30, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 New Jersey Department of State, "Official Primary Results: State Senate," accessed July 14, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Official Primary Election Results," accessed July 26, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Official general election candidates," September 9, 2013
- ↑ Associated Press, "New Jersey - Summary Vote Results," November 6, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 Official General Election results," accessed December 5, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2011 Official State Senate Primary Candidate List," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "New Jersey State Senate 2007 general election results," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ League of Women Voters of New Jersey Education Fund," accessed May 16, 2013
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ PolitickerNJ.com, "AFL-CIO endorses candidates for elections," accessed September 4, 2013
- ↑ Politicker NJ, "2011 AFL-CIO endorsed candidates," accessed August 5, 2011
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Richard Mroz |
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities 2018-2023 |
Succeeded by Christine Guhl-Sadovy |
| Preceded by - |
New Jersey State Senate District 38 2008-2018 |
Succeeded by Joseph Lagana (D) |
| Preceded by - |
New Jersey General Assembly 2004-2007 |
Succeeded by - |
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