(TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin has named Assemblyman Raj Mukherji — a prosecutor, healthcare entrepreneur, and former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant who previously served as Deputy Mayor of Jersey City — as Majority Whip of the General Assembly to help shepherd the Speaker’s agenda through the 218th legislative session.
Mukherji becomes the first Asian American in state history to serve in this role. He is presently the only former Marine and the only Asian American serving in the New Jersey General Assembly.
“I am confident, based on his zealous advocacy for progressive priorities on the Budget Committee and his personality, that Raj is the right guy to count the votes and help achieve consensus within our caucus,” said Coughlin (D-Middlesex). “Even with his professional success, Raj never forgot his humble roots, and he is well-liked and widely respected by his peers in the legislature. His support in the caucus will be invaluable as we tackle challenging issues and a comprehensive agenda.”
Assemblyman Raj Mukherji is a partner in the Jersey City-based law firm Mukherji Wolf LLC and co-owns several healthcare businesses. At 24, Mukherji was appointed Commissioner and Chairman of the Jersey City Housing Authority, the youngest in city history, where he earned nationwide acclaim for various reforms at the state’s second largest housing authority. At 27, he was appointed Deputy Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey.
The son of immigrants, Assemblyman Mukherji supported himself through high school, college, and grad school as an emancipated minor when economic circumstances forced his parents to return to their native India. After suffering a pituitary tumor, stroke, and other ailments, Mukherji’s father could no longer work as a result of his health but could not afford health coverage without employment. This experience shaped his perspective and interest in healthcare policy. Assemblyman Mukherji founded an Internet consulting and software development company while in middle school, grew it, and later sold it to a larger technology company to enlist in the Marines two weeks after the attacks of September 11th at age 17, where he served in military intelligence as a reservist. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Thomas Edison State University, an individualized Master of Liberal Arts focused on national security from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Seton Hall Law School.
Representing the 33rd Legislative District, comprised of Jersey City, Union City, Hoboken, and Weehawken, Assemblyman Mukherji is serving in his third term in the Legislature and has also been appointed Vice Chair of the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee and reappointed to a coveted seat on the Assembly Budget Committee, where he has served since 2014.
“I am humbled by Speaker Coughlin’s trust and confidence in me, and I look forward to helping him deliver on an agenda that seeks to grow our economy, boost the middle class, and improve the quality of life for all New Jerseyans,” said Mukherji.