James J. Kennedy

James J. Kennedy (born February 9, 1953) is a Democratic Party politician who is serving as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 22nd Legislative District since January 2016. He previously served as Mayor of Rahway, New Jersey from 1991 through 2010, when he declined to seek a sixth term.

Biography

Kennedy won his first nomination in the 1990 Democratic primary election, when he contested the re-election for Daniel Martin, who at the time had been mayor for 20 years.

Kennedy owns a local store, Kennedy Jewelers, that was adversely affected by the decline of the city's downtown area during the 1970s and 1980s, and he was president of the Rahway Chamber of Commerce during the later 80s. While serving on the board of trustees for the Rahway YMCA, Kennedy befriended Jim McGreevey, a lawyer then residing in neighboring Woodbridge who would ultimately become New Jersey's governor.

Kennedy and his wife, Lori, a kindergarten teacher who retired in June 2011, have one son, Sean, who operates the jewelry store on a day to day basis. The couple previously had another child, who died when he was two years old. Lori Kennedy filed petitions to run for school board in the November 2012 election.