Ronald Rice

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]

• Assemblyman Ralph R. Caputo
• Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker

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

References

External links

• Senator Rice's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature
• New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
  • 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004