John F. McKeon

John F. McKeon (born June 3, 1958) is an American Democratic Party politician who represents the 27th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate, which primarily covers the western portion of Essex County. McKeon previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2002 to 2024, where he was Assistant Majority Whip (2004–05), Assistant Majority Leader (2006–07), Majority Whip (2008–09), Deputy Speaker (2010–11) and was the Parliamentarian from 2022 to 2024.^[1] He is also a former mayor of West Orange.^[2]

McKeon was born June 3, 1958, in Montclair, New Jersey, the oldest of four children, born to John F. McKeon Jr. (1925–2002)^[3] and Anita (née Monzo).^[4] He is of Irish and Italian descent. McKeon was raised in Orange and West Orange, New Jersey. He is a graduate of West Orange Mountain High School.^[5]

McKeon received a B.A. in 1980 from Muhlenberg College cum laude in history and was awarded a J.D. in 1983 from the Seton Hall University School of Law.^[5][1] At graduation, he was the recipient of the Peter Rodino Law Society Outstanding Student Award.

He then served as judicial clerk to Joseph M. Thuring, Superior Court of New Jersey in Hudson County, and as a legislative aide to Representative Joseph Minish. McKeon is a former legislative counsel to Senator Richard Codey and counsel to the West Orange Board of Adjustment.^[6]

He is a senior partner at Hardin, Kundla, McKeon, Poletto and Polifroni, a law firm in Springfield Township. He is married to Ann Mader McKeon, also an attorney at the same firm, and has three daughters.^[7][8]

McKeon had served on the Township of West Orange Council from 1992 to 1998 as the Mayor of West Orange from 1998 to 2010.^[1] From the time that he took office in the Assembly in 2002 until he left his position as mayor in June 2010, he simultaneously held a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly and was West Orange Mayor. This dual position, often called double dipping, was allowed under a grandfather clause in the state law enacted by the New Jersey Legislature and signed into law by Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine in September 2007 that prevents dual-office-holding but allows those who had held both positions as of February 1, 2008, to retain both posts.^[9] On July 1, 2010, Robert Parisi took over the mayoral position.^[10]

On August 14, 2023 State Senator and former New Jersey Governor Richard Codey announced he would be retiring from the New Jersey State Senate at the end of his current term. McKeon was subsequently chosen as the new Democratic State Senate nominee for the newly redrawn state legislative district 27; he ultimately won the general election.^[11][12]

During his first term in the Legislature, McKeon was the prime sponsor of the Assembly version of the laws requiring school districts to adopt anti-harassment policies, strengthening school bus driver background checks and revising the State's laws concerning the release of wild animals, and was a prime sponsor of the Patients First Medical Malpractice Insurance reform legislation.^[5]

Other leadership positions McKeon has held during his tenure in the Assembly include Assistant Majority Whip from 2004 to 2005, Assistant Majority Leader from 2006 to 2007, Majority Whip in 2008 and 2009, and Deputy Speaker from 2010 to 2011.^[1] John McKeon was one of the 11 sponsors of the "New Jersey Insurance Marketplace Preservation Act" also known as bill A3380 which enacts the shared responsibility penalty in state income tax.^[13]

Following the 2021 reapportionment, all of the municipalities in Morris County were removed from the district, while the Passaic County municipality of Clifton was shifted from its longtime home in the 34th district.^[14] In the June 2023 Democratic primary, the first held under the 2021 reapportionment, incumbent Senator Richard Codey defeated incumbent 34th district Senator Nia Gill, though Codey announced in August that he would retire at the end of the term. McKeon was selected to replace Codey on the November ballot.^[15] McKeon defeated Republican Michael D. Byrne in the 2023 New Jersey Senate election.^[16][17]

Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:^[1]

• State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation (as vice-chair)
• Environment and Energy

Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly.^[18] The representatives from the 27th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:^[19]

• Senator John F. McKeon (D)
• Assemblyman Rosy Bagolie (D)
• Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill (D)

McKeon is married to Ann C. Mader, who is also an attorney. They have three daughters: Lacey Ann (McKeon) Rockefeller (born 1988);^[23] Melissa McKeon (born 1990) and Jaclyn McKeon (born 1993).^[4]

He is a resident of West Orange, New Jersey.^[24]

• Assemblyman John McKeon's Official Website
• Senator McKeon's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature
• New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
  • 2016 Archived October 1, 2017, at the Wayback Machine 2015 Archived June 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine 2014 Archived June 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine 2013 Archived September 13, 2015, at the Wayback Machine 2012 Archived September 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine 2011 Archived September 14, 2015, at the Wayback Machine 2010 Archived September 12, 2015, at the Wayback Machine 2009 Archived September 13, 2015, at the Wayback Machine 2008 Archived September 14, 2015, at the Wayback Machine 2007 Archived June 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine 2006 Archived June 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine 2005 Archived October 15, 2006, at the Wayback Machine 2004 Archived October 15, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
• West Orange, New Jersey: Office of the Mayor
• Assembly Member John F. McKeon^{[permanent dead link]}, Project Vote Smart
• New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003