Owen Henry

Owen Henry
Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 12th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 9, 2024
Preceded by	Samuel D. Thompson
Personal details
Born	(1959-05-30) May 30, 1959 (age 65)
Political party	Republican
Residence	Old Bridge Township, New Jersey
Education	The College of New Jersey
Website	Legislative webpage

Owen Henry (born May 30, 1959) is an American Republican Party politician serving as a member of the New Jersey Senate for the 12th legislative district, having taken office on January 9, 2024.

Biography

Henry was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, and moved in 1961 to Old Bridge Township, New Jersey.^[1] He graduated from Cedar Ridge High School (since merged with Old Bridge High School) in 1977 and Trenton State College (since renamed as The College of New Jersey) in 1981.^[2][1] He is the owner of Owen Henry Contracting, Inc., an industrial building construction company.^[1]

Elective office

Henry served on the board of education of the Old Bridge Township Public Schools from 2009 to 2011 and served as mayor of Old Bridge from 2012 to 2023.^[1]

With Senator Samuel D. Thompson retiring from the Senate after having switched parties from Republican to Democratic, Senator Henry's election flipped District 12 back to the Republicans.^[3] He defeated Democratic challenger Brandon Rose by a vote of 28,038 (62.2%) to 16,265 (36.1%) in the 2023 New Jersey Senate election, with independent candidate Nina Jochnowitz collecting 806 votes.^[4][5] Henry was one of 10 members elected for the first time in 2023 to serve in the Senate, one quarter of all seats.^[6]

Committees

Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:^[7]

• Education
• Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens
• Law and Public Safety

District 12

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.^[8] The representatives from the 12th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:^[9]

• Senator Owen Henry (R)
• Assemblyman Robert D. Clifton (R)
• Assemblyman Alex Sauickie (R)

Electoral history

Senate

12th Legislative District General Election, 2023^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Owen Henry	28,038	62.2
	Democratic	Brandon A. Rose	16,265	36.1
	Results Not Politics	Nina Jochnowitz	806	1.8
Total votes			45,109	100.0
	Republican gain from Democratic

References

1. Owen Henry - District 12, New Jersey Senate Republicans. Accessed January 13, 2024.
2. NJ Elections Voters Guide: 12th Legislative District, NJ Spotlight News. Accessed January 13, 2024. "As a student growing up in Old Bridge, Mayor Owen Henry attended Voorhees Elementary School, St. Thomas the Apostle School and in 1977 he graduated from Cedar Ridge High School, now known as Old Bridge High School. Mayor Henry went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Trenton State College (The College of New Jersey) in 1981."
3. Henry flips 12th legislative district back to GOP after Thompson’s party switch, New Jersey Globe, Nov. 7, 2023
4. Connolly, Julio. "NJ election results 2023: State Senate, Assembly seats decided", The Record, November 9, 2023. Accessed December 23, 2023.
5. Official List Candidates for State Senate for General Election November 7, 2023, New Jersey Department of State, December 6, 2023. Accessed December 23, 2023.
6. Wildstein, David. "37 new lawmakers take office at noon", New Jersey Globe, January 9, 2024. Accessed January 9, 2024. "The 221st New Jersey Legislature begins today, with 37 new lawmakers – nearly one-third of the legislature – being sworn in at noon. That number includes ten new Senators and 27 new members of the General Assembly."
7. Senator Owen Henry (R), New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 22, 2024.
8. New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022.
9. Legislative Roster for District 12, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed September 28, 2022.
10. "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.