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Joseph Pennacchio (born May 27, 1955) is an American Republican Party politician, who has represented the 26th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate since January 8, 2008. Pennacchio has served in the Senate as the Deputy Republican Leader since 2022. He served in the General Assembly from 2001 to 2008.

Early life

Pennacchio was born in Brooklyn, New York. He received a B.S. in 1976 from Brooklyn College in Biology and a D.D.S. degree in 1979 from the New York University College of Dentistry.

He served on the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1998 to 2001 and is a former member of Governor DiFrancesco's New Jersey Economic Development Authority. He is the founder and a former member of the Montville Education Foundation, and a former member of the Montville Economic Development Council. He ousted incumbent freeholder, John M. Fox, in the 1998 Republican primary. He was succeeded by John Inglesino on the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Pennacchio currently resides in Rockaway Township with his wife Diane.

New Jersey Assembly

Pennacchio was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in February 2001 by a special convention of district Republicans to fill the seat vacated by Carol Murphy, following her nomination by Acting Governor of New Jersey Donald DiFrancesco to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

New Jersey Senate

Pennacchio ran for state Senate in 2007 upon the retirement of Robert J. Martin. He has since served as Assistant Minority Leader from 2014 to 2017 when he was chosen as Minority Whip. During the 2019 budget fight, Democrats contradicted Governor Phil Murphy and passed a budget without the millionaires' tax. Pennacchio, alongside six other Republicans, voted for the budget. Since 2022, he has been the Deputy Republican Leader .

Committees

Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:

• Economic Growth
• Legislative Oversight

District 26

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. The representatives from the 26th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:

• Senator Joseph Pennacchio (R)
• Assemblyman Brian Bergen (R)
• Assemblyman Jay Webber (R)

United States House campaign

In 1994, Pennacchio challenged Congressman Dean Gallo in the Republican primary. He lost the primary.

United States Senate campaign

On January 17, 2008, Pennacchio launched his campaign for the 2008 United States Senate race. On June 3, 2008, he was defeated in the Republican primary by former Congressman Dick Zimmer.

Controversies

In 1991, Pennacchio sent a 94-page white paper called the "Nationalist Agenda" to then-New Jersey General Assembly minority leader Chuck Haytaian. The manifesto, among other things, called for a new "Nationalist Party;" Balanced Budget Amendment; Line-item Veto Amendment; Term Length/Limit Amendment (six-year terms for presidents, senators, and congressmen and twelve-year term limits for each office); Anti-Racism Amendment; Amend the 2nd Amendment to allow for regulation and banning of certain guns and ammunition; Death Penalty Amendment (make murder a federal crime and ensure that the death penalty is allowed); Equal Rights Amendment (albeit slightly amended); Flag-Burning Amendment; abolition of the Electoral College; establishment of regional presidential primaries; Establishment of a federal "Department of Science"; national lottery (funded by voluntary $52-per-year contributions on tax returns; only those participating would be eligible to win), school vouchers; reforms to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Welfare Reform; letting the homeless stay in military bases; and mandatory military service for non-violent criminals. This has been referred to by his primary opponent as a "fascist manifesto". Sabrin called for him to drop out of the Senate race and resign from the State Senate. Pennacchio refused to drop out, and said that these were ideas he came up with before he ran for office, and that he had "evolved" beyond many of them. Pennacchio described these attacks as "anti-Italian". Despite these attacks, he bested Sabrin by a wide margin.

Involvement in Trump campaign

On October 16, 2019, the Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign announced that Pennacchio and State Senator Mike Testa would be honorary state chairs of Trump's Victory Team.

Electoral history

New Jersey Senate

New Jersey general election, 2017

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Joe Pennacchio	32,269	56.5	8.5
	Democratic	Elliot Isibor	24,867	43.5	8.5
Total votes			'57,136'	'100.0'

New Jersey general election, 2013

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Joe Pennacchio	35,772	65.0	0.7
	Democratic	Avery Ann Hart	19,250	35.0	2.2
Total votes			'55,022'	'100.0'

New Jersey general election, 2007

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Joe Pennacchio	26,567	66.4	0.4
	Democratic	Wasim A. Khan	13,442	33.6	0.4
Total votes			'40,009'	'100.0'

New Jersey Assembly

New Jersey general election, 2005

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Alex DeCroce	35,646	30.2	2.5
	Republican	Joe Pennacchio	34,331	29.1	3.1
	Democratic	Kathleen Lynch-McCabe	23,795	20.1	2.2
	Democratic	Avery Hart	22,881	19.4	2.2
	Libertarian	Anthony Pio Costa	833	0.7	N/A
	Libertarian	Kenneth Kaplan	660	0.6	N/A
Total votes			'118,146'	'100.0'

New Jersey general election, 2003

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Alex DeCroce	20,882	32.7	1.5
	Republican	Joe Pennacchio	20,609	32.2	0.2
	Democratic	Laurie Fierro	11,467	17.9	1.0
	Democratic	Patrick J. Caserta	10,972	17.2	0.8
Total votes			'63,930'	'100.0'

References

1. "Pennacchio named Senate GOP whip". Daily Record. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
2. "Senate Republican Leadership". Way back Machine. Archived from the original on December 17, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
3. ^ Senator Joseph Pennacchio, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 24, 2024.
4. ^ Assembly Member Joseph 'Joe' Pennacchio, Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 17, 2007.
5. "Morris County, New Jersey - Meet the Freeholders - Joe Pennachio". Archived from the original on June 25, 2001.
6. "The Courier-News 03 Jun 1998, page Page 51". Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
7. "Daily Record 07 Jun 1998, page 64". Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
8. "Inglesino gets GOP nod for freeholder".
9. "Morris County Freeholders History" (PDF). Morris County. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 26, 2023.
10. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey - Two Hundred and Eleventh Legislature (First Session) (PDF). Skinder-Strauss Associates. 2004. p. 279. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
11. "Joe Pennacchio's Biography | Senator Joe Pennacchio | New Jersey's 26th Legislative District". SenateNJ.com. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
12. "Pennacchio joins Assembly", The Star-Ledger, March 9, 2001. Accessed August 17, 2007. "Pennacchio, who will resign his freeholder position next Thursday, replaces Republican Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, also of Montville, who recently was appointed to the state Board of Public Utilities."
13. "Senate passes budget 31-6". New Jersey Globe. June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
14. New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022.
15. Legislative Roster for District 26, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 24, 2024.
16. "Daily Record 02 Feb 1994, page Page 4".
17. "The Herald-News 09 Jun 1994, page 18".
18. "Our Campaigns - NJ District 11 - R Primary Race - Jun 07, 1994".
19. Legislator enters U.S. Senate primary, Philadelphia Inquirer, January 18, 2008. Accessed January 18, 2008.
20. "Our Campaigns - NJ US Senate - R Primary Race - Jun 03, 2008".
21. Pennacchio, Joseph (March 17, 2008). "Nationalist Agenda, "A blue print for the 21st century"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
22. Friedman, Matt (March 17, 2008). "Jersey Joe's '91 "Nationalist Agenda"". PolitickerNJ. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
23. Kraushaar, Josh (March 19, 2008). "Morning Campaign Roundup". The Politico. CBS News. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
24. Friedman, Matt (March 18, 2008). "GOP Senate Candidate Published "Nationalist Agenda," Wanted Homeless Put In Military Camps". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
25. Stile, Charles (March 20, 2008). "Stile: Joe may be what Dems hope for". NorthJersey.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2008. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
26. Friedman, Matt (March 17, 2008). "Sabrin calls for Pennacchio to drop out". PolitickerNJ. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
27. Friedman, Matt (March 17, 2008). "Pennacchio: What of it?". PolitickerNJ. Retrieved March 17, 2008.
28. "Trump Campaign And GOP Announce New Jersey State Campaign Chairs". Insider NJ. October 16, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
29. "Official List, Candidates for State Senate for GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
30. "Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 06/08/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
31. "2017-official-general-election-results-state-senate.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 7, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
32. Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2011 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 14, 2011, p. 15. Accessed May 8, 2019.
33. Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2007 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 3, 2007, p. 15. Accessed May 8, 2019.

External links

• Senator Joseph Pennacchio's official site
• Senator Pennacchio's legislative webpage, New Jersey Legislature
• New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
  • 2011 2010 Archived September 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine 2009 Archived September 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine 2008 Archived September 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine 2007 Archived February 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine 2006 Archived November 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine 2005 2004 Archived October 15, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
• Joseph 'Joe' Pennacchio, Project Vote Smart
• Joseph Pennacchio's Nationalist Agenda: “A blueprint for the 21st century” (PDF)
• Official US Senate Campaign Website - www.JerseyJoe08.com

• 1955 births
• Living people
• American people of Italian descent
• Brooklyn College alumni
• County commissioners in New Jersey
• Republican Party New Jersey state senators
• Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly
• New York University College of Dentistry alumni
• People from Montville, New Jersey
• People from Rockaway Township, New Jersey
• Politicians from Morris County, New Jersey
• 20th-century American dentists
• 21st-century American dentists
• 21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature