Raj Mukherji (born July 15, 1984) is an American businessman, lawyer, actor and Democratic Party politician who has represented the 32nd district in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

since 2024. He previously served five terms in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

from 2014 to 2024, during which he served as

majority whip A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline (that members of the party vote according to the party platform rather than their constituents, individual conscience or donors) in a legislature. Whips a ...

and deputy speaker.“Mukherji Appointed Assembly Majority Whip in 218th Legislative Session.”
''Insider NJ'', 01-12-2018. He is a former healthcare and information technology CEO, former

deputy mayor The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor and assistant mayor) is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many local governments. Duties and functions Many elected deputy mayors are members of the loca ...

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

, former local prosecutor, and law professor.Political bio of Senator Raj Mukherji.
/ref>LinkedIn profile of Raj Mukherji, Esq.
/ref> Mukherji was first elected to the

in 2013 and reelected in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021, and first elected to the Senate in 2023. He is a former

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

sergeant who enlisted two weeks following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Mukherji serves as vice chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee and as a member of the Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens and Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committees. In the assembly, he served as chairman of the Judiciary Committee and vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee and Telecommunications and Utilities Committee.“Press Release: Mukherji Appointed...”
Assembly Democrats, 02-06-2014.
''Mile Square View'', 02-06-2014. Mukherji started multiple successful businesses before completing his teenage yearsLim, Jeremiah
“Assemblyman Talks Business Development, Sick Leave.”
''TAPinto'', 09-10-2014.
''The Dodo'', 06-02-2014. and was sworn into his first public office at age 24. At 28, Mukherji – as a running-mate of longtime Senator

Brian P. Stack Brian P. Stack (born May 16, 1966) is an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician who represents the New Jersey's 33rd legislative district, 33rd Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate, where he serves as ch ...

– won a six-way Democratic primary election for the state assembly by a 36-point margin in 2013 and won the November general election by a 20-point margin,“Indian-American Political Star Rises in NJ.”
''Voices of NY'', 11-12-2013.
''Jan Darpan'', 11-08-2013. becoming the second South Asian legislator in state history.Kabita Sonowal. “The Rise of Indian-American Leaders in the American Political Scene.”
USINPAC, 11-28-2013. In 2016 and 2017, Mukherji was identified by ''POLITICO'' as the most prolific lawmaker in the state because of his primary sponsorship of more bills signed into law than any other legislator.“Mukherji was most prolific N.J. lawmaker of 2016.”
''POLITICO'', 12-30-2016.“Democrat Mukherji was last session's most prolific legislator.”
''POLITICO'', 01-31-2018. The 32nd district includes the Hudson County municipalities of

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

and

Hoboken Hoboken ( ; ) is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's popula ...

Early life, education, and career

Mukherji is the son of Indian American immigrants who arrived from

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

in 1970.Singh, Yoshita
“Want to see more Indian faces in US government: Raj Mukherji”
''rediff News'', 11-27-2013.“Indian-Americans enhance political footprints in US”
''Pravasi Herald'', 11-10-2013. According to news accounts, he supported himself through high school, college, and grad school as an emancipated minor when economic circumstances forced his parents to return to their native India. “Seton Hall Law at Work: Raj Mukherji and Michael Murphy”
''Alumni Features'', Seton Hall University School of Law, retrieved 10-14-2014. After suffering a

pituitary tumor Pituitary adenomas are tumors that occur in the pituitary gland. Most pituitary tumors are benign, approximately 35% are invasive and just 0.1% to 0.2% are carcinomas.“Condolences to Raj Mukherji and family.”
''

Politicker The Politicker Network, or Politicker.com, was a national network of fifty state-based political websites operated by the ''New York Observer''. Origins The network had its origins in journalist Ben Smith's ''New York Observer'' blog, "''The Poli ...

'', 03-14-2013. – could no longer work as a result of his health but could not afford health coverage without employment.“Want to see more Indian faces in US government: Raj Mukherji”
''Deccan Herald'', 11-27-2013. Labeled a "wunderkind" by the media,Bishop, Brad
“Owner of Dean Oil site eager to break ground.”
''The Record Press'', 02-11-2005.Quinn, William T

''Business News NJ'', 10-02-2001. Mukherji was previously the CEO of an Internet consulting and software development company that he founded while in the sixth grade. Mukherji later sold the company to a federal contractor to enlist in the

Marines Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...

two weeks after the

September 11 terrorist attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

at age 17, where he served as a reservist in military intelligence.Karsnak, Mike
At 20, he’s done it all: Lobbyist is college grad, Marine vet, and real estate whiz.
''Star-Ledger'', 06-09-2005.Bresswein, Kurt

''

The Express-Times Founded in 1885, ''The Express-Times'' began as The Easton Daily Express, a daily newspaper based in Easton, Pennsylvania. The newspaper provided national news and extensive local news coverage of the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. ...

'', 06-23-2014. The young entrepreneur withdrew from high school at 15 to enroll in an early college program at

Bard College at Simon's Rock Bard College at Simon's Rock (more commonly known as Simon's Rock) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It is part of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudso ...

, eventually earning his bachelor's degree from

Thomas Edison State University Thomas Edison State University (TESU) is a public university in Trenton, New Jersey, United States. The university is one of New Jersey's 11 senior public institutions of higher education. Thomas Edison State University offers degrees at the und ...

. He also holds a Master of Public Policy from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

, a Master of Liberal Arts from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

, and a Juris Doctor, ''cum laude'', from

Seton Hall University School of Law Seton Hall University School of Law is the law school of Seton Hall University, and is located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Seton Hall Law is the only private law school in New Jersey. The school confers three law degrees: Juris Doctor, Ma ...

, where he sits on the Board of Visitors, and he has performed on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

and in motion pictures, as a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). Mukherji cofounded and led as CEO companies that achieved an aggregate half billion dollars in enterprise value, spanning healthcare, information technology, medical cannabis, and real estate.“Meet the Impressive Lineup of Speakers...”
''Elephants DC Blog'', 09-18-2014. At 19, he had cofounded a public affairs firmCasselberry, Lauren
“Hudson County Chamber of Commerce's annual Legends Ball.”
''The Jersey Journal'', 12-13-2011. that he grew into the state's third largest lawyer-lobbying firm, reportedly through his ties to New Jersey Democratic establishments and the

Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. Ob ...

administration.Video
“Obama’s Re-election Campaign Begins.”
''FOXNews.com'', 04-05-2011. In 2011, he was named an annual "Legends" honoree by the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce.

Prior public service

At 24, Mukherji was appointed by the

Mayor of Jersey City The Mayor of the City of Jersey City is the head of the executive branch of the government of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce the municipal charter and ordinances; prepare the annual budget; appoint dep ...

and confirmed by the

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...

to replace Lori Serrano (who had been removed and was later charged with corruption) as the youngest Commissioner and Chairman to ever serve on the Jersey City Housing Authority,Koepp, Paul
“Housing Authority replaces chair with young lobbyist.
''The Jersey Journal'', 10-27-2008. the state's second largest public housing authority and a $90 million agency serving over 16,000 residents and nearly 7,000 households. Mukherji served at the Housing Authority for over 15 years; during Mukherji's tenure, the JCHA was applauded for expanding affordable housing stock in

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

and by HUD for attaining the highest score for Section 8 management among similar agencies in the state. The agency was also showered with federal grants and aid from the

administration, which dispatched then- U.S. Secretary of HUD

Shaun Donovan Shaun Lawrence Sarda Donovan (born January 24, 1966) is an American government official and housing specialist who served as the 15th United States secretary of housing and urban development from 2009 to 2014, and Director of the US Office of M ...

to Jersey City on multiple occasions to announce tens of millions in competitive federal grants the agency had won.“HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan Visits Communities Impacted by Hurricane Sandy.”

The White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 whe ...

, 11-16-2012. At 27, Mukherji was tapped to fill a vacancy as

of Jersey City, New Jersey, the state's second largest city with a $500 million operating budget.McDonald, Terrence T
“Lobbyist and chair of the JCHA Raj Mukherji is quietly sworn in as deputy mayor.”
''The Jersey Journal'', 03-05-2012. According to ''The Jersey Journal,'' while deputy mayor, Mukherji declined the $110,056 salary and a city-issued car, instead opting to earn one dollar per year due to "the austere economic climate."“Raj Mukherji named Deputy Mayor of Jersey City.”
''India Post'', 03-08-2012. Mukherji was previously appointed by then-U.S. Senator

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

to his Military Academy Board in 2003. In 2004,

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Jim McGreevey James Edward McGreevey (born August 6, 1957) is an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the 52nd governor of New Jersey from 2002 until his resignation in 2004 amidst a sex scandal. McGreevey served in the New Jersey Genera ...

appointed him to the Governor's Council on Volunteerism and Community Service.“Devineni and Mukherji named on NJ advisory panels.”
''India Abroad'', 08-06-2004. He was also a Superior Court-appointed member of the Juvenile Conference Committee.

Legislative career

In the Legislature, Mukherji has been a primary sponsor of hundreds of bills that passed both houses and were signed into law, including: *Enacting a comprehensive, bipartisan overhaul of the state's outdated and ineffective bail system and expanding legal aid for low-income New Jerseyans; *Combating the state's

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

, opiate, and prescription drug addiction epidemic by requiring physicians and pharmacists to access the state's Prescription Monitoring Program to prevent "doctor shopping;" *Making

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

the first state in the United States to enact a ban on

ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mamm ...

commerce (in an effort to thwart profits for poachers and wildlife traffickers and to protect

elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...

s and other endangered or threatened species), which effort garnered public support for Mukherji's ivory ban legislation by actress

Meryl Streep Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career ...

and musician

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...

and inspired similar prohibitions in other states;Samuel, Jen
“Opinion: N.J. bill banning domestic ivory, rhino horn sales deserves Gov. Christie's signature.”
''Times of Trenton'', 06-28-2014. *Legislation expanding the state's Drug Court programs and creating a substance abuse recovery housing program at NJ's four-year public colleges and universities with on-campus housing in order to provide a supportive substance-free dormitory environment that recognizes the unique risks and challenges faced by recovering students, along with other legislation expanding access to mental health and substance abuse treatment and recovery services; *Repealing prohibitions on sports betting in New Jersey to help Atlantic City's gaming industry rebound; *"The Parkinson's Disease Public Awareness and Education Act," a first-in-the-nation law dedicating resources to create a public education and outreach campaign for Parkinson's disease diagnosis and treatment, inspiring a similar effort in Kansas; *Combating bedbugs by requiring sanitation, protective, and labeling procedures in the sale of used mattresses and boxsprings; *Legislation improving prison addiction recovery programs (allowing certain drug treatment programs to operate in state and county jails) to help break the cycle of recidivism; *Creating criminal penalties for fatal hit-and-run boating accidents; *Improving the state's higher education system, develop an advanced cyberinfrastructure plan, and initiate a Big Data consortium; and *Securing state infrastructure investments for his home county of Hudson.

Committees

Committee assignments for the 2024-2025 Legislative Session are:Senator Raj Mukherji

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...

. Accessed January 23, 2024. *Transportation, Vice Chair *Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens *Military and Veterans’ Affairs

District 32

Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the

and two representatives in the

. The representatives from the 32nd District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are: * Senator Raj Mukherji (D) * Assemblyman John Allen (D) * Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez (D)

Controversy

Mukherji became embroiled in controversy when he was tapped to be the new chairman of the Jersey City Housing Authority. Amidst his nomination, critics opposed the Housing Authority's plans to demolish and redevelop a six-tower 549-unit public housing project known as Montgomery Gardens.Martin, Antoinette
“End Nears for Unloved Housing.”
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', 10-10-2008. Later, while under Mukherji's leadership, the agency came under fire for its strict "One-Strike" eviction policy, enabled by federal legislation enacted under

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has also been used as a given nam ...

, allowing housing authorities to evict entire households where a resident is charged with a serious crime (without being convicted).Whiten, Jon
“Housing Authority Holding Public Hearing on ‘One-Strike’ Eviction Rule Next Week.”
''Jersey City Independent'', 08-05-2010.
''The Huffington Post'', 08-05-2010. While defending the legislation, Mukherji convened public hearings prior to ordering an overhaul of the One-Strike policy, telling ''Jersey City Independent'' that the policy had "served as a deterrent and important tool to reduce drug-related and violent criminal activity in public housing (...but) certain revisions may be appropriate to ensure an equitable policy and eviction process... We want to be fair and equitable to criminal defendants, as the presumption of innocence must be sacrosanct, while being mindful that our foremost responsibility is to do all that we can to keep our tenants safe." As a teenager, Mukherji pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a fake identification in 2004 that was used for underage drinking.McDonald, Terrence T

''The Jersey Journal'', 03-14-2012.

Electoral history

Senate

General Assembly

References

External links

Legislative webpage

Senator Raj Mukherji’s political website
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mukherji, Raj Living people 1984 births Male actors from Jersey City, New Jersey American politicians of Indian descent Asian-American state legislators in New Jersey Bengali lawyers Bengali people Bengali politicians Democratic Party New Jersey state senators Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Male actors from New Jersey Military personnel from Jersey City, New Jersey New Jersey Democrats Politicians from Jersey City, New Jersey Seton Hall University School of Law alumni Thomas Edison State University alumni United States Marines United States Marine Corps reservists University of Pennsylvania alumni Indian emigrants to the United States Bengali male actors 21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature