Ronald Rice

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Ronald Rice
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 28th Legislative District
Assumed office
December 4, 1986
Preceded by John P. Caufield
Deputy Mayor of Newark
In office
July 1, 2002 – March 2006
Member of the Newark Municipal Council
In office
July 1, 1982 – July 1, 1998
Personal details
Born Ronald L. Rice
(1945-12-18) December 18, 1945 (age 78)
Richmond, Virginia
Political party Democratic
Residence Newark, New Jersey
Alma mater A.S. Essex County College (Police Science)
B.S. John Jay College of Criminal Justice (Administration and Planning)
Rutgers University (Criminal Justice)
Rutgers School of Law–Newark
Occupation Legislator
Website Legislative web page

Ronald L. Rice (born December 18, 1945) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey State Senate since 1986, where he represents the 28th Legislative District. While serving in the Senate, Rice has held a variety of different leadership roles including Associate Minority Leader (1998-2001), Assistant Deputy Minority Leader (1994-1997), and Assistant Majority Leader (1990-1991).[1] His son, Ronald C. Rice, is a city councilman in Newark, New Jersey. He is the fourth-most senior senator in the state, behind Richard Codey, Gerald Cardinale, and Raymond Lesniak.

Rice received an A.S. from Essex County College in Police Science, a B.S. from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Administration and Planning and an M.A. from Rutgers University in Criminal Justice. He has also attended but never graduated from the Rutgers School of Law—Newark.[1] Rice served in the Vietnam War in the U.S. Marines and reached the rank of Sergeant. He served from 1966 through 1970.[2]

Political career

Rice served 16 years on the Newark City Council (1982-1998), and he was the Deputy Mayor of Newark, a position he held from 2002 until March 2006.[1] He stepped down as deputy mayor in order to run for mayor. During this time, dual office holding was not banned in New Jersey therefore he was able to serve on both the city council and in the State Senate at the same time.

Following the death of John P. Caufield in August 1986, Rice was elected in a special election to serve the 28th district and was seated on December 4, 1986. Rice never received less than two thirds of the vote in any of his Senate general elections though he faced close challenges in the Democratic primaries from Laurence Brown in 1997, Assemblyman Willie B. Brown in 2001, and Freeholder D. Bilal Beasley in 2007.[3]

Rice serves in the Senate on the Community and Urban Affairs Committee (as Chair), the Joint Committee on the Public Schools and the Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.[1] Rice was one of only two Democrats in the Senate to vote no on two bills to legalize same-sex marriage in New Jersey in 2009 and 2012, the other twice-dissenting Democrat was Jeff Van Drew.[4][5]

Rice was one of New Jersey's presidential electors casting the state's Electoral College votes after the 2004 presidential election. New Jersey's electors cast their ballots on December 13, 2004 in the State House Annex, in Trenton, where all 15 votes were cast for the Democratic Party candidate John Kerry.[6]

District 28

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 28th district for the 2014-2015 Legislative Session are:[7]

2006 Mayoral bid

Rice had run for unsuccessfully for Mayor of Newark in 1998 being defeated by incumbent mayor (and future Senate colleague) Sharpe James.

On March 6, 2006, Rice entered the mayoral race again, noting "that Mayor James had encouraged him to run but noted that if the mayor decided to join the race, his candidacy could change.".[8] On March 27, 2006, James announced that he would not seek a sixth term, preferring to focus on his seat in the New Jersey Senate.[9]

On Election Day, May 9, 2006, Newark's nonpartisan election took place. Former City Councilman Cory Booker won with 72% of the vote, soundly defeating Rice, the runner-up, who received 23%.[10]

Election history

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2013[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ronald L. Rice (incumbent) 27,265 75.7
Republican Frank Contella 8,744 24.3
Democratic hold
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2011[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ronald L. Rice (incumbent) 14,781 76.6
Republican Russell Mollica 4,519 23.4
Democratic hold
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2007[13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ronald L. Rice (incumbent) 12,821 77.0
Republican Herbert Glen 3,838 23.0
Democratic hold

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Senator Rice's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed April 14, 2008.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Staff. "N.J. Senate approves bill legalizing gay marriage", The Star-Ledger, February 13, 2012. Accessed June 24, 2012. "Two Democrats, Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex) and Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May), voted no."
  6. ↑ 2004 Presidential Election: Electoral College Members, National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed July 10, 2007.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ New York Times Metro Briefing - NEWARK: DEPUTY MAYOR ENTERS THE RACE The New York Times, March 6, 2006
  9. ↑ Sharpe Drops Out: James cites only his position against holding dual offices NJ.com / Star-Ledger, March 28, 2006.
  10. ↑ Elects Cory Booker to Be New Mayor: Newark Elects Cory Booker First New Mayor in Two Decades in Landslide Victory, ABC News, May 9, 2006.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2011 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 14, 2011. Accessed June 24, 2012.
  13. ↑ Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2007 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 3, 2007. Accessed June 24, 2012.

External links

New Jersey Senate
Preceded by
John P. Caufield
 Member of the New Jersey Senate for the 28th District
December 4, 1986 – present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
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