(TRENTON) – Former Rahway Mayor Jim Kennedy was sworn in as the newest member of the 22nd Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly on Tuesday.
Kennedy took his oath of office during the Assembly’s reorganization meeting at the War Memorial in Trenton. He joins Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Jerry Green in representing District 22.
“I am honored that the voters of Middlesex, Somerset and Union chose to put their faith in me to represent them in the Legislature,” said Kennedy. “I am a former mayor and current business owner so I understand the importance of serving the needs of our residents, as well as our business community. I am looking forward to using these experiences to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to create a better New Jersey for our working families and the businesses operating here.”
Kennedy served as mayor of Rahway for 20 years. During his tenure, he set out to transform the central business district, refurbishing the train station, eliminating unsightly older buildings and creating an open plaza, and attracting private investment from developers who built hundreds of units of new housing. Kennedy was instrumental in securing funding to renovate the Union County Performing Arts Center, a historic vaudeville venue that opened in 1928. The building, which had fallen into disrepair, was reopened by a local nonprofit preservation group and has become a cornerstone of the Rahway Arts District and part of the redevelopment of downtown Rahway.
Kennedy, who owns Kennedy Jewelers and lives in Rahway with his family, served on the Rahway Chamber of Commerce, was a member of the board of trustees of the Rahway YMCA and served as secretary of the Union County Utilities Authority and executive director of the Rahway Arts District.
District 22 covers Clark, Dunellen, Fanwood, Great Brook, Linden, Middlesex, North Plainfield, Plainfield, Rahway, Scotch Plains and Winfield.