Robert D. Clifton (born December 31, 1968) is an American Republican Party politician who has represented the 12th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since January 10, 2012. He previously served on the Monmouth County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders from 2005 until he took office in the Assembly.
Robert D. Clifton | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 12th district | |
| Assumed office January 10, 2012 Serving with Alex Sauickie | |
| Preceded by | |
| Member of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders | |
| In office January 1, 2005 – January 10, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Edward J. Stominski |
| Succeeded by | Serena DiMaso |
| Mayor of Matawan, New Jersey | |
| In office October 1, 1996 – January 18, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Shuey |
| Succeeded by | Beatrice Duffy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 31, 1968 Matawan, New Jersey |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Tracy Clifton |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Matawan, New Jersey |
| Education |
|
| Occupation | Director of Local Government Affairs, Comcast Cable |
| Website | www |
Early life edit
Clifton was born and raised in Matawan, where he attended local elementary schools and St. John Vianney High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Rider College (now Rider University) and a master's degree in political science at the University of Richmond.[1] He has been employed by Comcast Cable as Director of Government and Community Affairs since 2001.[1] Prior to that, Clifton was Director of Industry Relations for the New Jersey Pavement and Asphalt Association, where he acted as liaison between the trade association and municipalities throughout the state regarding road improvement issues. He also served as an assistant to the Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and a legislative aide to former Assemblyman Michael Arnone.
Monmouth County Politics edit
Clifton was the Mayor of Matawan from 1996 until 2005. He was appointed mayor in October 1996 upon the resignation of Robert Shuey.[2][3] In addition, he served on the borough's unified Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Board of Health, and the Monmouth County Board of Drug & Alcohol Abuse Services. He also served as chairman of the Bayshore Conference of Mayors. In order to focus on his position as a newly elected Freeholder, he resigned from his mayoral post on January 18, 2005.[3] As Freeholder, Clifton oversaw Finance and Information Technology which includes Department of Finance, the Monmouth County Improvement Authority, Information Technology Services, Department of Purchasing, Records Management and the County Treasurer. Clifton served three terms on the Board of Chosen Freeholders, elected in 2004, 2007, and 2010. In 2008, he served as Deputy Director of the Board; Clifton was succeeded in that post by John D'Amico, Jr. in 2009. At the January 7, 2010 annual reorganization, he was again chosen as Deputy Director and at the January 6, 2011 annual reorganization, he was chosen as Director of the Monmouth County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders.[4]
New Jersey Assembly edit
In 2011, after legislative redistricting, Clifton ran for the Assembly seat in the 12th District that was opened when Samuel D. Thompson ran for New Jersey Senate.[5] He and his running mate Ronald S. Dancer defeated the Democratic candidates, William Spedding and Catherine Tinney Rome, in the general election.[6] He was sworn in on January 10, 2012.
Committees edit
- Budget
- Housing and Community Development
- Transportation and Independent Authorities
District 12 edit
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.[7] The representatives from the 12th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[8]
- Senator Owen Henry (R)
- Assemblyman Robert D. Clifton (R)
- Assemblyman Alex Sauickie (R)
Personal life edit
Clifton lives in Matawan with his wife Tracy and his two sons.[9]
Electoral history edit
Assembly edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert D. Clifton (incumbent) | 28,200 | 32.0 | |
| Republican | Alex Sauickie (incumbent) | 27,061 | 30.7 | |
| Democratic | Paul Sarti | 16,767 | 19.0 | |
| Democratic | Raya Arbiol | 16,164 | 18.3 | |
| Total votes | 88,192 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ronald S. Dancer (incumbent) | 47,595 | 33.37% | |
| Republican | Robert D. Clifton (incumbent) | 46,378 | 32.52% | |
| Democratic | Michael Palazzolla | 24,642 | 17.28% | |
| Democratic | Raya Arbiol | 23,993 | 16.82% | |
| Total votes | 142,608 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ronald Dancer (incumbent) | 23,866 | 32.19% | ||
| Republican | Robert Clifton (incumbent) | 23,173 | 31.25% | ||
| Democratic | David Lande | 13,909 | 18.76% | ||
| Democratic | Malini Guha | 13,194 | 17.8% | ||
| Total votes | 74,142 | 100% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ronald S. Dancer | 30,348 | 29.3 |  0.2 | |
| Republican | Robert D. Clifton | 29,610 | 28.5 |  0.5 | |
| Democratic | Gene Davis | 21,441 | 20.7 | 0.3 | |
| Democratic | Nirav Patel | 20,397 | 19.7 | 0.6 | |
| Libertarian | Anthony J. Storrow | 1,016 | 1.0 | N/A | |
| Libertarian | Daniel A. Krause | 938 | 0.9 | N/A | |
| Total votes | '103,750' | '100.0' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ronald S. Dancer | 15,164 | 29.5 | 3.3 | |
| Republican | Robert D. Clifton | 14,433 | 28.0 | 3.7 | |
| Democratic | David W. Merwin | 10,496 | 20.4 | 2.9 | |
| Democratic | Robert P. Kurzydlowski | 10,449 | 20.3 | 3.7 | |
| Green | Stephen N. Zielinski Sr. | 945 | 1.8 | N/A | |
| Total votes | '51,487' | '100.0' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ronald S. Dancer | 32,188 | 32.8 | 2.5 | |
| Republican | Robert D. Clifton | 31,059 | 31.7 | 2.6 | |
| Democratic | Lawrence J. Furman | 17,119 | 17.5 | 2.9 | |
| Democratic | Nicholas Nellegar | 16,312 | 16.6 | 3.7 | |
| For the People | Diane Bindler | 1,354 | 1.4 | N/A | |
| Total votes | '98,032' | '100.0' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ronald S. Dancer | 22,345 | 30.3 | |
| Republican | Robert D. Clifton | 21,469 | 29.1 | |
| Democratic | William "Bill" Spedding | 15,077 | 20.4 | |
| Democratic | Catherine Tinney Rome | 14,969 | 20.3 | |
| Total votes | 73,860 | 100.0 | ||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Assemblyman Robert D. Clifton, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed August 9, 2012.
- ^ McGee, Beverly (September 25, 1996). "Matawan Mayor Shuey resigns" (PDF). The Independent (Long Branch). Retrieved September 1, 2015.
- ^ a b Rosenberg, Michelle (January 18, 2005). "Clifton steps down as mayor of Matawan". The Independent (Long Branch). Retrieved September 1, 2015.
- ^ Minutes, Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders
- ^ "Turnover in N.J. Legislature is slight". Asbury Park Press. January 10, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "Assembly District 12". NJ Spotlight Voter Guide. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022.
- ^ Legislative Roster for District 12, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed September 28, 2022.
- ^ "Assemblyman Rob Clifton - New Jersey Assembly Republicans". New Jersey Assembly Republicans. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
- ^ "Candidates for General Assembly - For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/02/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ "2017-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ "2015-official-ge-results-nj-general-assembly.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ "2013-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ "2011-official-gen-elect-gen-assembly-results-121411.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
External links edit
- Assemblyman Clifton's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature
- New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms - 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011