Kim Guadagno
Kim Guadagno | |
|---|---|
| Lieutenant Governor-elect of New Jersey | |
| Assuming office January 2010 | |
| Succeeding | Position created |
| Sheriff of Monmouth County | |
| Assumed office 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph W. Oxley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1959 Waterloo, Iowa |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Michael Guadagno |
| Alma mater | Ursinus College, B.A. American University Washington College of Law, J.D. |
Kimberly Ann "Kim" McFadden Guadagno (pronounced gwah-DAH-no; born c. 1959) is the sheriff of Monmouth County, New Jersey and the Lieutenant Governor-elect of New Jersey, having won the 2009 election with running mate Chris Christie.[1] In an August 2009 television interview she said the correct Italian pronunciation of her name is gwah-DAHN-yo. She is a Republican.
Background
Born Kimberly Ann McFadden,[2] Guadagno grew up in Waterloo, Iowa. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ursinus College in 1980 and was awarded her degree in law in 1983 from the American University's Washington College of Law. She moved to New Jersey in 1991 and has been a resident of Monmouth Beach since marrying husband Michael Guadagno in 1991. Her husband is a New Jersey Superior Court judge in Ocean County, having been appointed in 2005 by then-Governor Richard Codey. The Guadagnos have three children.[3]
Guadagno is a former Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey and Assistant Attorney General, who served as deputy chief of the office's corruption unit from 1990 to 1998. With the U.S. Attorney's office, Guadagno was responsible for the corruption prosecutions of former Essex County Executive Thomas D'Alessio (a Democrat) and of Somerset County Prosecutor Nicholas Bissell (a Republican).[3] In a case involving an executive of lottery contractor GTECH Corporation, she was criticized by the judge overseeing the case for her disclosure of grand jury testimony; the issue was never referred for further ethical or legal investigation.[4].
She served as deputy director from 1998 to 2000 in the Division of Criminal Justice from 1998 to 2000, where she supervised prosecutions of a $40 million financial fraud and of David L. Smith, creator of the "Melissa" computer worm.[3]
She taught at Rutgers School of Law—Newark and was elected to Monmouth Beach's governing body as one of its three Walsh Act commissioners.[3]
Elected sheriff of Monmouth County in 2007, succeeding Joseph Oxley, she became the first woman to serve in the post. As sheriff, she is responsible for managing a staff of nearly 700 and a $65 million budget that includes operation of a 1,328-bed maximum security prison. The department was one of 11 accepted nationwide into the federal program established under Immigration and Nationality Act Section 287(g) by which local police officers are deputized to act initiate immigration actions against illegal aliens involved in major crimes.[3]
On July 20, 2009, Republican gubernatorial nominee Christopher J. Christie announced that Guadagno was his choice as running mate, in the first New Jersey election to include voting for a lieutenant governor.[5] Guadagno was said to have been selected over a number of other Republican women, including State Senator Diane Allen and Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan.[5] Christie and Guadagon defeated John Corzine and Loretta Weinberg on November 3, 2009.[6]
Issues and positions
Guadagno supports a pro-choice position, but would like to see fewer women choose the option; Christie expressed a pro-life stance on abortion during the primary campaign.[4]
References
- ^ Christie elected Governor
- ^ "Kimberly Ann McFadden". Justia.com. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ a b c d e Stile, Charles. "Christie announces lieutenant governor pick", The Record (Bergen County), July 20, 2009. Accessed July 21, 2009.
- ^ a b Halbfinger, David M. "New Jersey G.O.P. Candidate Picks Woman as His No. 2", The New York Times, July 20, 2009. Accessed July 21, 2009.
- ^ a b Margolin, Josh; and Heininger, Claire. "Chris Christie introduces Monmouth Sheriff Kim Guadagno as GOP lieutenant gov. candidate", The Star-Ledger, July 20, 2009. Accessed July 21, 2009.
- ^ Silverleib, Alan. "CNN projects Republicans win governor races in Virginia, New Jersey", CNN, November 3, 2009. Accessed November 3, 2009.