Barbara Buono
Majority Leader of theNew Jersey Senate
In office January 12, 2010 – January 10, 2012
Preceded by	Stephen Sweeney
Succeeded by	Loretta Weinberg
Member of theNew Jersey Senate from the18th district
In office January 8, 2002 – January 14, 2014
Preceded by	David Himelman
Succeeded by	Peter Barnes
Member of theNew Jersey General Assembly from the18th district
In office December 1, 1994 – January 8, 2002
Preceded by	Joanna Gregory-Scocchi
Succeeded by	Patrick Diegnan
Personal details
Born	(1953-07-28)July 28, 1953 (age 72) Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Martin Gizzi ​ (m. 2002)​
Children	6
Education	Montclair State University(BA) Rutgers University, Camden(JD)

Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in theNew Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succeedingStephen Sweeney, and was succeeded byLoretta Weinberg. She is a member of theDemocratic Party and was the Democratic nominee forGovernor of New Jersey in the2013 general election, which she lost toRepublicanincumbentChris Christie in a landside, with 38.2 percent of the vote — the worst showing for a Democratic gubernatorial nominee since1985.^[1][2]

Before entering the Senate, Buono served in thelower house of theNew Jersey Legislature, theGeneral Assembly, from 1994 to 2002, where she served as the Minority Parliamentarian from 1996 to 1998. In the Assembly, Buono became the ranking Democrat on the Assembly Budget Committee. She was Democratic Conference Chair from 2004 to 2007.^[3]

Buono was born inNewark,^[4] grew up inNutley, New Jersey^[5] and attendedNutley Public Schools, graduating fromNutley High School in 1971.^[6] Buono received aB.A. in 1975 fromMontclair State College in Political Science and earned aJ.D. in 1979 from theRutgers School of Law–Camden.^[3][7][8]

Before joining theMetuchen borough council, she was a member of theMiddlesex County Democratic Committee. While serving on the borough council, she served on the Metuchen Planning Board for one year in 1994.^[8]

Buono is married to Dr. Martin Gizzi and has four children with her first husband and two step-children with Dr. Gizzi.^[8] In 2015, Buono sold her home in Metuchen and moved toPortland,Oregon.^[9]

She began her career as a criminal trial attorney for theNew Jersey Department of the Public Advocate and later entered private practice. Buono first ran for local office on November 3, 1992, serving on theMetuchen, New Jersey Borough Council from January 1, 1993 to December 1, 1994.^[3]

Buono ran against and beat incumbent Republican State AssemblywomanJoanna Gregory-Scocchi in 1994, who had been chosen by a Republican special convention in February 1994 to fill the vacant seat of Republican AssemblywomanHarriet Derman (who was chosen by GovernorChristine Whitman to head theNew Jersey Department of Community Affairs). In the November 8, 1994, special election, early favorite Gregory-Scocchi was defeated by Buono, after disclosures that a temporary employment firm owned by Gregory-Scocchi had hired illegal immigrants,^[10] with Buono having received 27,229 votes (53.74%) and Gregory-Scocchi 23,436 votes (46.26%).^[11] Buono was sworn into office on December 1, 1994. After serving seven years in theNew Jersey General Assembly she was elected to theNew Jersey Senate on November 6, 2001. Buono served in the Senate on the Budget and Appropriations Committee (as Chair), the Intergovernmental Relations Commission and the Joint Budget Oversight Committee.^[3] She was the first woman to serve as Chair of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. At the beginning of the 2010 session, Senator Buono became the first woman to be elected Majority Leader of the New Jersey State Senate. She held the position through the end of the 2011 session, when she was succeeded byLoretta Weinberg, after Buono declined to agree with Senate PresidentStephen Sweeney on the terms of a power-sharing deal.^[12]

Buono was the author of the New Jersey "Anti-Bullying Law", which requires school districts to implement anti-harassment and bullying prevention policies to make schools safer for vulnerable children.^[13] She was also the prime sponsor of consumer protection measures restricting telemarketing by creating the most stringent "Do Not Call" database legislation in the nation.^[14] Senator Buono is also the prime sponsor of the law prohibiting the practice ofpredatory lending, in which lenders issue loans with hidden costs and excessive fees to homeowners, eroding their financial security and putting their homes at risk.^[15][16] She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee, and serves on the Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, and the State Government, Wagering, Tourism, & Historic Preservation committee.

Buono voted for the legalization of medical marijuana.^[17] Word bills related to the measure were signed into law by Democratic GovernorJon Corzine^[18] and six bills related to the measure were vetoed by Republican GovernorChris Christie.^[19]

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in theNew Jersey Senate and two members in theNew Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 18th District for the 2012-2013 Legislative Session were:^[20]

• AssemblymanPeter J. Barnes III (D)
• AssemblymanPatrick J. Diegnan (D)

On December 11, 2012, Buono announced her candidacy for Governor of New Jersey in theDemocratic primary, with the winner to face Republican incumbent Chris Christie in the2013 election.^[1] Buono gained considerable party support by late January.^[21] In the primary election on June 4, 2013, she was chosen over one opponent to be the Democratic nominee for Governor of New Jersey in the 2013 general election.^[22] DespiteNew Jersey being a historicallyDemocratic state in presidential contests, her campaign struggled to gain traction against Christie, who was popular at the time.^[23][24][25]

On July 29, Buono selected Milly Silva, executive vice president of1199 SEIU, as her running mate for lieutenant governor.^[26]

On November 5, Buono was defeated by incumbent GovernorChris Christie by a 60.3% to 38.2% margin.^[27]

Buono moved toPortland, Oregon in 2015 and became advisor to MayorTed Wheeler. She returned to the East Coast in 2019.^[28][29]

• Archive ofBarbara Buono for Governor
• Archive ofBarbara Buono (D) official New Jersey Legislature site
• Profile atVote Smart
• New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
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