Share on WeChat
https://www.powervoter.us:443/patrick_diegnan_jr
Copy the link and open WeChat to share.
 Share on WeChat
Copy the link and open WeChat to share.
 Share on WeChat
Scan QRCode using WeChat,and then click the icon at the top-right corner of your screen.
 Share on WeChat
Scan QRCode using WeChat,and then click the icon at the top-right corner of your screen.
Quick Facts
Personal Details

Caucuses/Former Committees

Former Vice Chair, Law and Public Safety Committee, New Jersey State Senate

Former Member, State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee, New Jersey State Senate

Member, South Plainfield Environmental Commission, 1978

Member, South Plainfield Senior Citizens Advisory Committee, 1977

Education

  • JD, Seton Hall University School of Law, 1973
  • BA, Government and Political Science, Seton Hall University, 1970

Professional Experience

  • JD, Seton Hall University School of Law, 1973
  • BA, Government and Political Science, Seton Hall University, 1970
  • Attorney, 1974-present
  • Municipal Attorney, Borough of Milltow, present
  • Municipal Attorney, Borough of South Plainfield, present
  • Instructor of Law, Middlesex County College, 1974-1983

Political Experience

  • JD, Seton Hall University School of Law, 1973
  • BA, Government and Political Science, Seton Hall University, 1970
  • Attorney, 1974-present
  • Municipal Attorney, Borough of Milltow, present
  • Municipal Attorney, Borough of South Plainfield, present
  • Instructor of Law, Middlesex County College, 1974-1983
  • Senator, New Jersey State Senate, District 18, 2016-present
  • Deputy Speaker, New Jersey State Assembly, 2008-2016
  • Parliamentarian, New Jersey State Assembly, 2006-2016
  • Assembly Member, New Jersey State General Assembly, 2002-2016

Former Committees/Caucuses

Former Vice Chair, Law and Public Safety Committee, New Jersey State Senate

Former Member, State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee, New Jersey State Senate

Member, South Plainfield Environmental Commission, 1978

Member, South Plainfield Senior Citizens Advisory Committee, 1977

Current Legislative Committees

Member, Budget and Appropriations Committee

Member, Joint Committee on the Public Schools

Member, Select Committee on New Jersey Transit

Chair, Transportation Committee

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • JD, Seton Hall University School of Law, 1973
  • BA, Government and Political Science, Seton Hall University, 1970
  • Attorney, 1974-present
  • Municipal Attorney, Borough of Milltow, present
  • Municipal Attorney, Borough of South Plainfield, present
  • Instructor of Law, Middlesex County College, 1974-1983
  • Senator, New Jersey State Senate, District 18, 2016-present
  • Deputy Speaker, New Jersey State Assembly, 2008-2016
  • Parliamentarian, New Jersey State Assembly, 2006-2016
  • Assembly Member, New Jersey State General Assembly, 2002-2016
  • President, Sacred Heart Parish Council, 1977-1980
  • Member, South Plainfield Board of Adjustment, 1974-1975

Other Info

— Awards:

  • Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Irishman of the Year, 2007 Honors
  • ArtPride NJ Distinguished Arts Advocate Award, 2008
  • New Jersey Council of County Colleges, Legislative Excellence Award, 2008
  • Friend of the YMCA Award, 2010
  • Athletic Trainers' Society of New Jersey Presidential Award, 2011
  • Roscommon Society of New York -- Roscommon Man of the Year, 2011
  • AFL-CIO Labor Council Hubert H. Humphrey Friend of Labor Award, 2012
  • Peace Island Institute Education Award, 2012
  • Middlesex County Good Scout Award, 2013
  • Middlesex County Education Association Friend of Education Award, 2013
  • New Jersey Family Collaborative Law Award, 2014
  • New Jersey Retail Merchants Association Legislator of the Year, 2015
  • Association of Schools and Agencies for the Handicapped Legislator of the Year, 2015
  • New Jersey Police Officers Brotherhood, Legislative Support Award, 2015

Favorite Quote:

"When power leads man towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses." JFK

"If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter." MLK

Favorite TV Shows:

The Good Wife

Favorite Type of Music:

Jersey Boys

Names of Grandchildren:

Vanessa, Alexa, Brooke

  • 3

Policy Positions

New Jersey State Legislative Election 2007 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should always be legal.
- No Answer

3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- No Answer

5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer

6. Prohibit public funding of abortions and to organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- No Answer

7. Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budget and Tax

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels (#1-6) you will support for the following general categories. Select one level per category.

1. Education (Higher)
- Greatly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase

3. Emergency preparedness
- Maintain Status

4. Environment
- Slightly Increase

5. Health care
- Greatly Increase

6. Law enforcement
- Maintain Status

7. Transportation and Highway infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

8. Welfare
- Maintain Status

9. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels (#1-6) you will support. Select one level per tax.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Slightly Increase

2. Capital gains taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Corporate taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Gasoline taxes
- Slightly Increase

6. Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
- Maintain Status

7. Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
- Maintain Status

8. Property taxes
- Greatly Decrease

9. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

10. Vehicle taxes
- Maintain Status

11. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

12. Should the state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
- No

13. Should accounts such as a "rainy day" fund be used to balance the state budget?
- Undecided

14. Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?
- Yes

15. Do you support leasing the New Jersey Turnpike to a private company to help reduce the state's debt?
- Undecided

16. Other or expanded principles
- In the abstract everyone opposes increased taxes. However, we must establish a reliable revenue stream to serve the needs of the residents of New Jersey.

Campaign Finance and Governmental Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

1. Do you support the current limit of terms for New Jersey governors?
- Yes

2. Do you support limiting the number of terms for New Jersey state senators and representatives?
- No

Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

1. Individual
- Yes

2. PAC
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Parties
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

6. Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
- Yes

7. Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying and ensuring accuracy of votes?
- Yes

8. Do you support prohibiting media exit polling of voters until all polling locations in New Jersey are closed?
- Yes

9. Should New Jersey continue to recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
- Yes

10. Should New Jersey recognize marriages between same-sex couples?
- Undecided

11. Do you support a New Jersey constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman?
- No

12. Do you support the New Jersey state government using eminent domain to seize private property for the purpose of private development?
- Undecided

Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

1. Other or expanded principles
- It depends on the circumstances. Should be utilized in extreme cases only.<br />

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff.
- X

2. Support the death penalty in New Jersey.
- X

3. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- X

4. End parole for repeat violent offenders.
- X

5. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- X

6. Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
- No Answer

7. Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- No Answer

8. Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
- No Answer

9. Require that crimes based on race, ethnic background, religious belief, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation be prosecuted as hate crimes.
- No Answer

10. Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
- X

11. Strengthen sex-offender laws.
- X

12. Support the restriction of the sale of products used to make methamphetamine (e.g. tablets containing pseudophedrine, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine).
- X

13. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

1. Support national standards and testing of public school students.
- No Answer

2. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- No Answer

3. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
- No Answer

4. Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
- X

5. Increase funds for hiring additional teachers.
- X

6. Support teacher testing and reward with merit pay.
- No Answer

7. Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools.
- X

8. Support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams.
- X

9. Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
- No Answer

10. Increase funding for Head Start programs.
- X

11. Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
- X

12. Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
- X

13. Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
- No Answer

14. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Employment and Affirmative Action

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.

1. Increase funding for state job-training programs that retrain displaced workers and teach skills needed in today's job market.
- X

2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- No Answer

3. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
- X

4. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- X

5. Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- X

6. Support the inclusion of sexual orientation in New Jersey's anti-discrimination laws.
- X

7. Increase the state minimum wage.
- X

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Affirmative Action: Should race, ethnicity or gender be taken into account in state agencies' decisions on:

1. Public employment
- Yes

2. State college and university admissions
- Undecided

3. State contracting
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment and Energy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

1. Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
- X

2. Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and oil).
- No Answer

3. Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
- X

4. Increase funding for improvements to New Jersey's power generating and transmission facilities.
- X

5. Support funding for open space preservation.
- X

6. Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
- X

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

1. Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- X

2. Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

3. Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

4. Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
- No Answer

5. Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
- X

6. Require a license for gun possession.
- X

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

1. Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
- X

2. Transfer current Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
- X

3. Limit the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- No Answer

4. Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
- X

5. Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- No Answer

6. Legalize physician assisted suicide in New Jersey.
- No Answer

7. Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Welfare and Poverty

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare.

1. Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
- X

2. Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- X

3. Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
- X

4. Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
- No Answer

5. Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to extend health and child care subsidies to the working poor.
- X

6. Support marriage promotion programs for welfare recipients.
- No Answer

7. Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

Please explain in a total of 75 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- No Answer

Endorsements
The New Jersey AFL-CIO
Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey
New Jersey State AFL-CIO
Speeches