Jamel Holley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jamel Holley
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 20th District
In office January 21, 2015 – January 11, 2022 Serving with Annette Quijano
Preceded by	Joseph Cryan
Succeeded by	Reginald Atkins
Mayor of Roselle, New Jersey
In office January 1, 2012 – January 21, 2015
Preceded by	Garrett Smith
Succeeded by	Christine Dansereau
Personal details
Born	Jamel Curtis Holley (1979-09-13) September 13, 1979 (age 44)
Political party	Democratic
Residences	Roselle, New Jersey, U.S.
Education	New Jersey City University (B.S.) Kean University (M.P.A.)

Jamel Curtis Holley (born September 13, 1979) is an American Democratic Party politician from the state of New Jersey, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 20th Legislative District from 2015 to 2022. He is the first African American to represent the district, serving out the unexpired term of former Assemblyman and now State Senator Joseph Cryan, and formerly served as councilman and then mayor of Roselle, New Jersey; at age 32, he was the borough's youngest-ever mayor. In 2021, Holley unsuccessfully challenged Cryan in the June 2021 New Jersey State Senate primary, losing by 29 points. Two years later, Holley attempted a comeback and unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Mayor Donald Shaw in the Roselle Mayoral Democratic primary and lost by 2 points.

Early life

Holley graduated from Abraham Clark High School in Roselle in 1997, received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from New Jersey City University in 2002, and earned a Master of Public Administration from Kean University in 2006. In 2001, he was appointed as Chief of Staff to Neil M. Cohen of New Jersey's 20th Legislative District, the youngest Chief of Staff for any of New Jersey's 120 legislators.

He works for Irvington Township as the Director of Public Works under Mayor Tony Vauss.

Political career

On November 2, 2004, Holley won the General Election for Councilman at Large in the Borough of Roselle, becoming Union County's youngest Councilman at age 25. Commissioned by the New Jersey Democratic State Committee to serve as a committee member at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, he won re-election to his at-large seat following year. He made history by officiating the first gay wedding in New Jersey "forever cementing himself into the annals of queer liberation."

Mayor of Roselle

Holley was elected Mayor of the Borough of Roselle in November 2011, becoming Roselle's youngest mayor in its 117-year history. He ran unopposed for mayor after defeating two-term Mayor Garrett Smith in the Borough's Democratic primaries in June, despite Smith having the support of U.S. Congressman Donald M. Payne of New Jersey's 10th District. Holley's running mates were then-Councilman-elect Randy Sandifer and then-Councilman Yves. F. Aubourg, Mayor Holley began his term on January 1, 2012 and was officially inaugurated on January 6, at age 32. He joined nearly 50 other Union County Democrats to endorse Newark Mayor Cory Booker for his bid for the U.S. Senate in 2013, and supported Raymond Lesniak's successful bid for senate reelection in New Jersey's 20th District.

After the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin murder trial, Mayor Holley and Roselle's Borough Council submitted a formal plea to President Barack Obama and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate alleged violations of civil rights relating to the 2012 fatal shooting. Roselle was the first Union County municipality to appeal to the Obama administration for further examination of the case after Zimmerman was found not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges.

New Jersey Assembly

Holley was unanimously chosen by Democratic committee members of the 20th district to fill the Assembly seat of Joseph Cryan, who resigned in 2015 to become the Union County Sheriff. He has since won two additional two-year terms in the Assembly, serving with Democratic running mate Annette Quijano.

Committees

• Homeland Security and State Preparedness
• Health and Senior Services

2021 New Jersey State Senate election

Holley announced in January 2021 that he would challenge Joseph Cryan in the June 8, 2021 primary for New Jersey State Senate. He lost the primary to Cryan by a wide margin.

Electoral history

New Jersey Senate

New Jersey Assembly

New Jersey general election, 2019
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Annette Quijano (Incumbent)	13,173	40.75	4.65
	Democratic	Jamel Holley (Incumbent)	12,437	38.48	6.12
	Republican	Charles Donnelly	3,496	10.82	1.7
	Republican	Ashraf Hanna	3,218	9.96	1.7
Total votes			53,372	100.0

New Jersey general election, 2017
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Annette Quijano (Incumbent)	24,221	45.4	6.0
	Democratic	Jamel Holley (Incumbent)	23,790	44.6	6.8
	Republican	Joseph G. Aubourg	5,361	10.0	1.7
Total votes			53,372	100.0

New Jersey general election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Annette Quijano (Incumbent)	12,061	39.4	3.9
	Democratic	Jamel Holley (Incumbent)	11,568	37.8	1.5
	Republican	Stephen E. Kozlovich	3,593	11.7	2.8
	Republican	Roger Stryeski	3,398	11.1	2.6
Total votes			30,620	100.0