Michael J. Pappas

Infobox Congressman
name= Mike Pappas


width=175px
state= New Jersey
district=12th
party= Republican
term= January 3 1997 – January 3 1999
preceded= Dick Zimmer
succeeded= Rush Holt
date of birth= birth date and age|1960|12|29
place of birth= New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=
religion=
current occupation=

Michael J. "Mike" Pappas (born December 29, 1960 in New Brunswick, New Jersey) is a former Republican Congressman from New Jersey.

Pappas was born in 1960 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He is a graduate of Alma Prep in Zarephath, New Jersey, and attended Seton Hall University.

Pappas got into politics in the early 1980s, becoming a member of the Franklin Township township council. He served for five years (mayor for two) from 1982 to 1987. He later would be elected to the Board of Chosen Freeholders for Somerset County, and served from 1984 to 1996, alongside fellow Freeholder Christine Todd Whitman during portions of that period.

In 1996, Pappas won an election to replace Dick Zimmer in the 12th Congressional District in New Jersey (Zimmer ran for the U.S. Senate that year). Unlike most New Jersey Republicans, Pappas was a staunch conservative. His congressional service included pushing for a stronger national defense, the elimination of the capital gains tax, advocacy for small business, securing the release of the battleship USS "New Jersey" to the state of New Jersey as a museum, a national radio address urging for a national missile defense to protect against rogue states like North Korea and terrorists like Osama Bin Laden

He was a strong supporter of the impeachment of Bill Clinton, and his infamous singing of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Kenneth Starr" on the House floor [Beiler, David. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2519/is_4_20/ai_54709845/pg_2 "Twinkle, twinkle Kenneth Starr: how physicist Rush Holt used the Clinton scandal to oust a Republican congressman - includes related article on Rush Holt Sr"] , "Campaigns & Elections", May 1999. Accessed August 6, 2007. "On the occasion of Clinton special prosecutor Ken Starr's 52nd birthday, Pappas decided to commemorate the event in song, on the House floor. Following the melody of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," Pappas crooned (or more accurately, croaked):"] contributed to his defeat by Rush Holt in 1998.

In 2000, Pappas unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination in the 12th District, losing a highly contentious primary to the more moderate Zimmer.

Currently, Pappas is working for the United States Small Business Administration in Washington D.C.

Electoral history

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
+ ushr|New Jersey|12|: Results 1996–1998cite web |url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html |title=Election Statistics |accessdate=2007-08-08 |publisher=Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives ] !|Year!!|Democrat!|Votes!|Pct!!|Republican!|Votes!|Pct!!|3rd Party!|Party!|Votes!|Pct!!|3rd Party!|Party!|Votes!|Pct!
-
1996|
Party shading/Democratic |nowrap|David M. DelVecchio
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |125,594
Party shading/Democratic |47%|
Party shading/Republican |nowrap|Michael Pappas
Party shading/Republican align="right" |135,811
Party shading/Republican |50%|
Party shading/Independent |Virginia A. Flynn
Party shading/Independent |Independent
Party shading/Independent align="right" |3,955
Party shading/Independent align="right" |1%|
Party shading/Independent |Joseph M. Mercurio
Party shading/Independent |Independent
Party shading/Independent align="right" |2,650
Party shading/Independent align="right" |1%
|*
-
1998|
Party shading/Democratic |Rush D. Holt, Jr.
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |92,528
Party shading/Democratic |50%|
Party shading/Republican |Michael Pappas
Party shading/Republican align="right" |87,221
Party shading/Republican |47%|
Party shading/Independent |nowrap|Joseph A. Siano
Party shading/Independent |Independent
Party shading/Independent align="right" |2,125
Party shading/Independent align="right" |1%|
Party shading/Independent |nowrap|Madelyn R. Hoffman
Party shading/Independent |Independent
Party shading/Independent align="right" |1,409
Party shading/Independent align="right" |1%
|*
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1996, Philip G. Cenicola received 1,211 votes. In 1998, Beverly Kidder received 749 votes and Mary Jo Christian received 578 votes.

References

External links

*CongLinks|congbio=P000049