Jim McGreevey Bio
James Edward McGreevey (born August 6, 1957) is an American politician, lawyer, and public administrator who served as the 52nd governor of New Jersey from 2002 until his resignation in 2004. A member of the Democratic Party, McGreevey previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly, served as mayor of Woodbridge Township, and represented his district in the New Jersey Senate. His governorship ended when he publicly acknowledged his homosexuality amid threats of a lawsuit, a moment that also made him the first openly gay person to serve as a state governor in the history of the United States.
After leaving office, McGreevey wrote a memoir, pursued divinity studies, taught at the university level, and devoted himself to programs supporting formerly incarcerated people. He has continued to live and work in New Jersey, particularly in Jersey City, where he has held civic and nonprofit leadership roles.
Early Life and Background
James Edward McGreevey was born on August 6, 1957, in Jersey City, New Jersey. He is the son of Veronica, a nurse, and Jack McGreevey, a Marine drill instructor who served in World War II and the Korean War. The family is Irish Catholic, and McGreevey grew up in nearby Carteret, where he attended St. Joseph Elementary School before continuing his education at St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey.
McGreevey went on to attend The Catholic University of America before graduating from Columbia University in 1978. He later earned a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1981 and a master’s degree in education from Harvard University in 1982. These formative academic years gave him a foundation in law, policy, and education that shaped his later work in public service.
Path to US Politics
Before entering elected office, McGreevey worked as an assistant prosecutor and as executive director of the New Jersey state Parole Board. These early positions gave him direct experience with the criminal justice system and shaped his later interest in reentry work for formerly incarcerated people.
McGreevey first won elected office in 1990, when he was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 19th legislative district. In 1991, he became the 19th mayor of Woodbridge Township, a position he held until 2002. He was reelected mayor in 1995 and 1999, demonstrating strong local support. In 1993, he was elected to the New Jersey Senate, where he served until 1998 while continuing his duties as mayor of Woodbridge.
Jim McGreevey Career
Early Career (1990–1997)
McGreevey’s political career began in earnest when he joined the New Jersey General Assembly in 1990, representing the 19th district until 1992. That same year he became mayor of Woodbridge Township, beginning a long tenure that connected him closely to local government and constituent service in central New Jersey.
In 1997, McGreevey won the Democratic nomination for governor of New Jersey and challenged the incumbent Republican, Christine Todd Whitman. The race was extremely close, with McGreevey earning 47 percent of the vote to Whitman’s 46 percent, while Libertarian candidate Murray Sabrin received just over 5 percent. Though he lost the election, the narrow margin positioned McGreevey as a leading figure in New Jersey’s Democratic Party.
Gubernatorial Campaigns and Election (2001)
McGreevey ran for governor again in 2001 and won decisively with 56 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Bret Schundler. His victory made him the first majority-elected governor of New Jersey since James Florio. He was sworn in as the 52nd governor of New Jersey on November 6, 2001, inheriting a state budget deficit of roughly $5 billion.
During his tenure, McGreevey raised the tax on cigarettes and increased the state income tax on higher earners. He pursued a series of policy priorities, including auto insurance reform, the restructuring of the Division of Motor Vehicles into the Motor Vehicle Commission, signing the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act, and implementing a stem cell research plan for New Jersey. He also strongly advocated for and signed the state’s first domestic partnership law for same-sex couples in early 2004.
Resignation and Aftermath (2004–Present)
McGreevey’s governorship came to an abrupt end on August 12, 2004, when he held a nationally televised press conference and acknowledged that he is a gay American. He also stated that he had engaged in an adult consensual affair with another man, and announced that he would resign effective November 15, 2004. His announcement made national headlines and marked him as the first openly gay state governor in United States history.
After leaving office, McGreevey published a memoir titled The Confession in September 2006, with David France serving as ghostwriter, and promoted the book on The Oprah Winfrey Show and other media outlets. He was hired in November 2006 as an executive in residence at Kean University, where he taught ethics, law, and leadership. In 2007, he was received into the Episcopal Church and enrolled at General Theological Seminary, ultimately earning a Master of Divinity degree, though his bid for ordination was later rejected. He has since returned to the Catholic Church and, as of 2023, attended Mass at Christ the King Catholic Church in Jersey City.
Notable Events and Milestones
McGreevey’s 2004 resignation is widely regarded as one of the most significant moments in New Jersey political history and in the broader history of LGBTQ visibility in American politics. In 2013, his post-gubernatorial work and ministry to incarcerated people were featured in the HBO documentary film Fall to Grace, directed by Alexandra Pelosi. He also ran in the 2025 Jersey City mayoral election, advancing to a runoff before losing by a wide margin to James Solomon.
Jim McGreevey Family
Family Background and Personal Lineage
McGreevey was raised in an Irish Catholic family in Carteret, New Jersey, the son of Veronica, a nurse, and Jack McGreevey, a Marine drill instructor who served in World War II and the Korean War. His upbringing in a disciplined, faith-centered household helped shape his early interest in public service and law.
Personal Life
McGreevey’s first marriage was to Karen Joan Schutz, a Canadian, with whom he was married from 1991 to 1997 and with whom he has one daughter. He later met Dina Matos in 1996, and the two married in 2000. Together they had a daughter born in 2001. Matos and McGreevey separated after his 2004 announcement, and their divorce was finalized in August 2007, with McGreevey receiving joint custody and being directed to pay child support. In late 2005, McGreevey began a relationship with Australian-American executive Mark O’Donnell, and the two lived together in Plainfield, New Jersey. As of late 2023, McGreevey was not involved in a romantic relationship, and he has resided in Jersey City, New Jersey.