Thomas J. Duch
Thomas J. Duch | |
---|---|
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 36th district | |
In office January 12, 1988 – January 7, 1992 | |
Preceded by | Paul DiGaetano Kathleen Donovan |
Succeeded by | Paul DiGaetano John V. Kelly |
Mayor of Garfield | |
In office 1980–1988 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Passaic, New Jersey | September 3, 1956
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Cheryl |
Children | Nicole, Thomas, Michael, and Timothy |
Residence(s) | Garfield, New Jersey (later Wyckoff, New Jersey) |
Alma mater | Lehigh University Seton Hall University School of Law |
Occupation | City manager; attorney |
Thomas J. Duch (born September 3, 1956) is an American public servant and Democratic Party politician from Bergen County, New Jersey.
Biography
[edit]Duch was born in 1956 in Passaic to Thomas and Helen O. Duch. His brother John Gregory Duch (1960–2017) would follow Thomas in serving in Garfield city government.[1] He graduated from Garfield High School, received a B.A. in government from Lehigh University in 1978, and a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1981; he was admitted to the bar that same year. He practices law at a firm in Elmwood Park, New Jersey.[2] In 1980, at the age of 23, Duch was elected mayor of Garfield; he was reelected in 1984.[3]
In 1987, Duch and running mate Passaic Council President Louis J. Gill defeated Republican candidates Frank B. Calandriello and Andrew E. Bertone for two seats in the New Jersey General Assembly from the 36th district after the two incumbent Republicans chose not to run for reelection. The two were reelected in 1989. In 1990, Duch cast one of the final votes in favor of Governor James Florio's unpopular income tax increases.[4] In the 1991 elections, following a redistricting which moved Garfield into the 38th district, Duch and his new running mate Frank Biasco were defeated by incumbent Republican Assembly members Patrick J. Roma and Rose Marie Heck.[5]
Duch would later move to Wyckoff. In 2003, he was hired as the city manager for Garfield.[2][6] In 2017, he was the Democratic nominee for the New Jersey Senate from the 40th district. However, he was defeated in the general election by appointed Republican incumbent Kristin Corrado.[7] A park along the Dundee Dam in Garfield, land which began to be acquired by the city during Duch's mayoralty, was renamed for Duch in 2016.[6]
Duch took the position as Bergen County Administrator in June 2021, succeeding Julien X. Neals who had been appointed as a federal judge.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "John Gregory Duch". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ a b "City of Garfield, City Manager's Office". Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ Fitzgerald, J. A. (1991). Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ Kerr, Peter (June 19, 1990). "Florio Tax Plan Clears Hurdle in Assembly Vote". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ "Official Results, General Election, November 5, 1991" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- ^ a b Cattafi, Kristie (December 7, 2016). "Garfield Riverwalk named after city manager". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ "Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2017 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 29, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ Sobko, Katie. "Bergen County replaces outgoing administrator Julien Neals with Garfield official", The Record, June 9, 2021. Accessed June 26, 2022. "Less than a day after the current Bergen County administrator was appointed to a federal judge role, a successor was named and will be ready to step in when the office is vacated. Thomas Duch, of Wyckoff, will replace outgoing administrator Julien Neals."