Peter J. Barnes III

Peter J. Barnes III (born April 26, 1956) is an American Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey Senate, where he represented the 18th Legislative District until 2016, when he was appointed as New Jersey Superior Court judge. He previously served in the General Assembly from 2007-2014. Barnes previously served on the Assembly Judiciary Committee (as Vice-Chair), the Appropriations Committee and the Environment and Solid Waste Committee.

Barnes attended the Edison Township Public Schools, having attended Menlo Park Elementary School, John Adams Junior High School and J. P. Stevens High School. Barnes graduated in 1978 with a B.A. from Gettysburg College in Political Science, an M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Management in 1980, and was awarded a J.D. by the Widener University School of Law in 1985.

Barnes served on the Edison Township Council from 1996 to 2007, and on the Township's Planning Board from 2001-03.

Barnes succeeded his father Peter J. Barnes, Jr., who was nominated on February 5, 2007, by Governor Jon Corzine to serve as Chairman of the New Jersey State Parole Board. On March 14, 2007, Barnes Jr. was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate and Barnes III, was chosen to fill his father's vacant seat.

On November 5, 2013, he was elected to the State Senate, succeeding Barbara Buono who was running for Governor. In one of the closest Senate races in the state, Barnes defeated Democrat-turned-Republican East Brunswick mayor David Stahl by a 4% margin. He was the only new Senator elected in the 2013 elections as incumbent Senators won in the other 39 districts.

District 18

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 18th District for the 2016-2017 Legislative Session are:

• Assemblyman Patrick J. Diegnan
• Assemblywoman Nancy Pinkin

Election history

In April 2016, Barnes was nominated by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the New Jersey Senate voted 34-0 to give approve him to become a New Jersey Superior Court judge sitting at Middlesex County Couthouse.