Joe Kyrillos

Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr. (born April 12, 1960) is an American Republican Party politician and businessman from New Jersey.

Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr. was born April 12, 1960, in Kearny, New Jersey, one of four children of a pediatrician, Dr. Joseph M. Kyrillos, and his wife, Marguerite Kyrillos ( Shlala), who wed on May 11, 1958.

His father and his mother's parents immigrated to the United States from Lebanon.

His maternal grandfather worked as a tool and die maker at Thomas Edison's factory in West Orange.

His mother graduated from college at age 50.

Kyrillos graduated from Rumson Country Day School and the Lawrenceville School.

He received a B.A. degree from Hobart College in Political Science and was awarded an M.S. from Boston University in Communications.

After graduating from college, Kyrillos worked for Vice President George Bush during the 1984 Reagan-Bush campaign.

Following the campaign, he served as Special Assistant to Secretary of the Interior Donald Hodel from 1985 to 1987.

Kyrillos has served on the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures and as a trustee of the American Council of Young Political Leaders.

Kyrillos was first elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1987, together with his incumbent running mate Joann H. Smith, with both candidates receiving more than $25,000 each in campaign funding from the $1.1 million spent by the New Jersey Republican State Committee to support candidates statewide.

In 1989, he won re-election to a second term.

After spending two terms in the Assembly, he retired to run for the seat in the New Jersey Senate in 1991.

Kyrillos strongly opposed Democratic Governor Jim Florio's tax increases, citing his opposition to "the Florio tax plan" repeatedly in his campaign advertising.

He also opposed the Abbott districts.

In 1991, Kyrillos decided to run for the 13th District seat in the New Jersey Senate.

He defeated incumbent appointed Senator James T. Phillips 68%-32%.

Kyrillos served in the New Jersey State Senate from 1992 to 2018, where he represented the 13th Legislative District, and in the General Assembly from 1988 to 1992.

Kyrillos started the consulting firm SK partners and is employed with Newport Capital Group, Red Bank, a financial services firm.

He is affiliated with Woodmont Properties, a regional real estate development company and is senior managing director of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, a commercial real estate services firm.

In 1992, Kyrillos ran for the United States House of Representatives but was defeated by incumbent Democrat Frank Pallone in a competitive race, falling short by about 10 points.

In 1993, after redistricting, he won re-election to a second term with 64% of the vote.

In 1997, he won re-election to a third term with 63% of the vote.

From 2001 to 2004, Kyrillos served as Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee and a member of the Republican National Committee.

In 2001, he won re-election to a fourth term (two-year term) with 64% of the vote.

From 2001 to 2004, Kyrillos served as Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee and a member of the Republican National Committee, where he worked to elect Republicans who shared his vision.

He won re-election to a fifth term in 2003 against former state assemblyman Bill Flynn 54%-41%.

In that role, he facilitated the logistics and implementation of the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City and read the delegate count for President George W. Bush’s nomination for re-election on the convention floor.

In that role, he facilitated the logistics and implementation of the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City and read the delegate count for President George W. Bush's nomination for re-election on the convention floor.

In 2007, he won re-election to a sixth term with 61% of the vote.

He was the New Jersey Chairman of Mitt Romney’s campaign in 2008, and in 2009, he served as the Chairman of Governor Christie's successful campaign and as a member of the transition team.

Kyrillos was the New Jersey Chairman of Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign.

In 2009, Kyrillos served as chairman of Chris Christie's successful gubernatorial campaign and was a member of the Governor's Transition Committee, serving as the liaison to all transition sub-committees.

In 2011, he won re-election to a seventh term, defeating Hazlet Mayor Chris Cullen, 60%-37%.

When Republicans held the legislative majority in the Statehouse, Kyrillos served as Majority Conference Leader and chaired standing committees on economic development and coastal resources.

Kyrillos was ranking member of the Economic Growth, Judiciary and Legislative Oversight committees.

After redistricting, the 13th district became more competitive.

He served as a close advisor to former Florida Governor Jeb Bush in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries.

On October 25, 2016, Kyrillos told Observer.com that he would not seek a re-election for the 2017 State Senate elections.

He was succeeded by Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon in 2018.