Senator Joe Cryan, a proud Irish-American born in East Orange, grew up in Newark’s Vailsburg section, settled and raised his family in Union Township, has dedicated his life to public service and his community holding true to the values of hard work and compassion.  A graduate of Belmont Abbey College with a degree in Business Administration, he began his career managing defense contracts at ITT Avionics before transitioning to public service.  Joe served as a New Jersey Assemblyman for the 20th District from 2002 to 2014, rising to Majority Leader and holding key leadership roles, including Chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. After serving as Union County Sheriff, he was elected to the New Jersey State Senate in 2017, where he chairs the Higher Education Committee and co-chairs the Joint Committee on Public Schools.  Active in Irish community organizations, he is also Executive Director of the Middlesex County Utilities Authority. Senator Cryan lives in Union Township with his wife, Kathy, their dog, Scout, and enjoys family time with their four children and six grandchildren.