Stephen M. Sweeney is a distinguished public servant and labor leader who served in the New Jersey State Senate from 2002 to 2022, representing the 3rd Legislative District. He held the position of Senate President from 2010 to 2022, making him one of the longest-serving and most influential legislative leaders in New Jersey history. 

A proud union ironworker and longtime member of Ironworkers Local 399, Mr. Sweeney entered public service driven by a personal mission to advocate for individuals with disabilities, inspired by his daughter’s journey. His tenure in the Senate was marked by bipartisan leadership and a commitment to fiscal responsibility, labor rights, and social equity.

He served on the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1997 to 2010, including as Freeholder Director. During his tenure in the Senate, Sweeney was known as a moderate and fiscal conservative, often working across party lines. He championed legislation on minimum wage increases, paid family leave, marriage equality, and public pension reform, including a landmark overhaul of the state’s pension and health benefits systems that was hailed as a national model. Mr. Sweeney’s legacy is defined by his unwavering dedication to working families, pragmatic governance, and transformative policy leadership.

Mr. Sweeney was born in Camden and graduated from Pennsauken High School.