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Sandra Bolden Cunningham

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Sandra Bolden Cunningham
President pro tempore of the New Jersey Senate
In office
January 11, 2022 – January 9, 2024
Preceded byTeresa Ruiz
Succeeded byShirley Turner
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 31st district
In office
November 8, 2007 – January 9, 2024
Preceded byJoseph Doria
Succeeded byAngela V. McKnight
Personal details
Born
Sandra Bolden

(1950-09-04) September 4, 1950 (age 74)
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseGlenn Cunningham (1998–2004)
EducationBloomfield College (BA)
WebsiteState Senate website

Sandra Bolden Cunningham (born September 4, 1950) is an American Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey State Senate from 2007 to 2024, where she represented the 31st Legislative District. She was sworn into office on November 8, 2007.[1] She is the widow of former Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham, who died in 2004.

Early life and education

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Sandra Bolden was born on September 4, 1950, and was raised in Newark. She graduated from West Side High School and received a B.A. from Bloomfield College with a major in liberal arts.[2][3]

Early career

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Bolden was an actress and was a part of the Negro Ensemble Company. She became the executive of the Hudson County Bar Association in 1988 after working various county jobs in Essex County.[3]

Political career

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Following her husband's death, there were reports of interest by Cunningham to seek her late husband's Senate seat to which he was elected in 2003 and was reported to be considering a run for Mayor of Jersey City in a May 2005 special election.[3] She became president of the Sandra and Glenn Cunningham Foundation and has supported causes in Jersey City through the foundation. In 2006 signs in Jersey City touted her as a candidate for the U.S. Senate vs. Sen. Robert Menendez and State Sen. Tom Kean Jr. Menendez and her late husband were bitter political rivals. She did not seek the U.S. Senate seat and announced her candidacy for the state senate in the Democratic primary against Sen. Joseph Doria in 2007.

Doria, the mayor of Bayonne, dropped out of the race in March 2007. Assemblyman Louis Manzo, who first won his seat on a ticket with Mayor Cunningham, challenged Cunningham in the Democratic primary for the Senate. During the primary race, Cunningham received the support of the Hudson County Democratic Organization and Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who had previously opposed her and her late husband. One of Cunningham's running mates for the Assembly was former State Sen. L. Harvey Smith, who had been defeated by her husband in a bitter 2003 Senate primary. Cunningham defeated Assemblyman Manzo in the Democratic primary in June 2007.[4] She was virtually unopposed in the November general election, defeating independent candidate Louis Vernotico with over 87% of the vote.[5]

Following Doria's October 2007 resignation to become Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Cunningham was elected on October 23, 2007, by a special election convention to serve the remainder of Doria's term, which expired in January 2008. Cunningham served the remainder of Doria's term before beginning her own four-year term and was sworn into the state senate on November 8, 2007.[6]

In the Senate, she had been assigned to serve as chair of the Higher Education; she also at on the Budget and Appropriations Committee and Labor Committee. She had been the Senate majority whip since 2008.[2]

In 2012, The Hudson Reporter named her #6 in its list of Hudson County's 50 most influential people, with North Bergen mayor and State Senator Nicholas Sacco ranked first on the list.[7]

Following a prolonged illness in 2022-2023, Cunningham announced that she would not run for reelection in 2023 and would retire from the Senate.[8][9]

District 31

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Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The representatives from the 31st District for the 2022—23 Legislative Session are:[10]

Personal life

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Spouse

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Sandra Cunningham began dating Jersey City police officer and councilman Glenn Cunningham in 1990 and got married on January 7, 1998, in Nassau, Bahamas.[11] While Glenn Cunningham was campaigning for and later won the Jersey City mayoral election in 2001, Sandra Cunningham often accompanied her husband at public events and political meetings.[3][11] Glenn Cunningham died on May 25, 2004, of a heart attack.

DWI Incidents

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In 2006, Cunningham pled guilty to operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol.[12] The 2006 guilty plea stemmed from a ticketed incident in November 2005. During the incident, she had a blood alcohol concentration of .18, according to public records.[12] She paid a $708 fine.

In March 2021, Cunningham was charged for driving while intoxicated after sideswiping two cars parked near her home with her Infiniti G35x.[12][13] On 3 June 2021, Cunningham plead not guilty to the DWI and careless driving charges; the case is currently pending trial and discovery.[14] If found guilty, Cunningham could face "from 2 to 90 days in jail and a one year loss of her driver’s license."[14]

Election history

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New Jersey State Senate elections, 2021[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sandra Bolden Cunningham (incumbent) 26,699 75.1
Republican Neil A. Schulman 8,769 24.7
Democratic hold
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2017[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sandra Bolden Cunningham (incumbent) 25,437 83.9
Republican Herminio Mendoza 4,874 16.1
Democratic hold
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2013[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sandra Bolden Cunningham (incumbent) 18,822 73.1
Republican Maria Karczewski 6,932 26.9
Democratic hold
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2011[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sandra Bolden Cunningham (incumbent) 13,275 82.4
Republican Donnamarie James 2,836 17.6
Democratic hold
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2007[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sandra Bolden Cunningham 10,821 87.7
Independent Louis Vernotico 1,511 12.3
Democratic hold
Democratic Primary - New Jersey State Senate elections, 2007[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sandra Bolden Cunningham 10,594 55.8
Democratic Louis Manzo 8,385 44.2

References

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  1. ^ Baldwin, Tom. "2 new lawmakers take oath, become Assembly members", Courier-Post, November 9, 2007. Accessed November 20, 2007. "One new state senator was sworn in for the 31st District in Hudson County, Sandra Bolden Cunningham, who will finish the unexpired term of former Sen. Joseph Doria Jr. She holds the Senate seat once held by her late husband, Glenn, who died in office in 2004."
  2. ^ a b Senator Cunningham's legislative webpage, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 24, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Miller, Jonathan (September 16, 2004). "For a City Hall Widow, Politics Can Wait, for Now". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  4. ^ Chen, David W. "Voters Send Mixed Signals to Democratic Organization in New Jersey Primaries", The New York Times, June 6, 2007. Accessed June 25, 2012. "But in the other marquee battle for the Senate, in the southern end of the county, the Democratic organization’s choice, Sandra A. Bolden Cunningham, the widow of popular former mayor, defeated Assemblyman Louis M. Manzo."
  5. ^ Staff. "9th District legislators tout state's highest vote counts", The Press of Atlantic City, November 10, 2007. Accessed June 25, 2012. "In that race, Sandra Bolden Cunningham, a Democrat, received 10,170 votes and defeated Louis Vernotico, who received 1,383 votes."
  6. ^ Hester Jr., Tom. "Senate Republicans boost Kean Jr. after losing seat in election", The Press of Atlantic City, November 9, 2007. Accessed June 25, 2012. "In the Senate, Sandra Cunningham took the 31st District seat representing Hudson County. She replaces Joseph Doria, who resigned to become Community Affairs commissioner."
  7. ^ Adriana Rambay Fernández, Stephen LaMarca, Gennarose Pope, Ray Smith, Al Sullivan and E. Assata Wright. "They've Got the Power", The Union City Reporter. January 8, 2012, pp. 1, 4-7 and 10-11.
  8. ^ As State Sen. Cunningham Retires, Hudson County Dems Make Endorsements, Jersey City Patch, Mar. 7, 2023
  9. ^ HCDO backing McKnight for state Senate in LD-31, JCDO Chair Stamato to run for Assembly, Hudson County View, Mar. 7, 2023
  10. ^ Legislative Roster for District 31, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 11, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Tolk, Prescott (December 26, 2001). "A First Lady's life Sandra Cunningham steps up to her new role". Hudson Reporter. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  12. ^ a b c Sheldon, Chris; Arco, Matt (March 5, 2021). "State Sen. Sandra Cunningham charged with DWI after sideswiping 2 parked cars near her N.J. home". NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. NJ.com. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  13. ^ "Police body-cam video of Sen. Sandra Cunningham's DWI arrest". YouTube. NJ.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  14. ^ a b Morrill, Aaron (June 3, 2021). "Cunningham Pleads Not Guilty to DWI and Careless Driving Charges". Jersey City Times. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  15. ^ "Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 06/08/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  16. ^ "Official List Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2017 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 29, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  17. ^ "Official List Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/05/2015 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. December 4, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  18. ^ Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2011 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 14, 2011. Accessed June 25, 2012.
  19. ^ Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2007 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 3, 2007. Accessed June 25, 2012.
  20. ^ "Official List Candidates Returns for State Senate for June 2007 Primary Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. July 20, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
[edit]
New Jersey Senate
Preceded by Member of the New Jersey Senate
for the 31st district
2007–2024 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President pro tempore of the New Jersey Senate
2018–2024 		Succeeded by
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