{{Short description|American politician}} {{about||the Greek American professional wrestler|Mike Pappas (wrestler)}} {{BLP sources|date=May 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Mike Pappas |image = Mike Pappas.jpg |state = New Jersey |district = {{ushr|NJ|12|12th}} |term_start = January 3, 1997 |term_end = January 3, 1999 |predecessor = Dick Zimmer |successor = Rush Holt |birth_name = Michael James Pappas |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|12|29}} |birth_place = New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = Republican |education = Seton Hall University (BA) |module = {{Listen |pos=center |embed=yes |filename=An audio message from Congressman Mike Pappas.wav |title=Pappas's voice |type=speech |description=Pappas's congressional website introduction.}} }} '''Michael James Pappas''' (born December 29, 1960) is an American politician and former one term Republican congressman from New Jersey, serving from 1997 to 1999. He is currently the Township Administrator in Bridgewater, New Jersey. He was an unsuccessful candidate for State Senator in New Jersey's 16th legislative district in the 2021 and 2023 elections.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/pappas-enters-race-to-challenge-zwicker/ | title=Pappas enters race to challenge Zwicker | date=16 November 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Joey |date=2023-11-08 |title=Zwicker, Freiman, Drulis win, keeping 16th district Democratic after tough campaign |url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/zwicker-freiman-drulis-win-keeping-16th-district-democratic-after-tough-campaign/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=New Jersey Globe |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Early life and education== {{BLP unreferenced section|date=May 2021}} Pappas, a Greek American, was born in 1960 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He is a graduate of Alma Preparatory School in Zarephath, New Jersey, and attended Seton Hall University.
==Political career== He got into politics in the early 1980s, becoming a member of the Franklin Township township council where he served from 1982 to 1987, including two years as mayor. He later would be elected to the Board of Chosen Freeholders for Somerset County, and served from 1984 to 1996, alongside future Governor Christine Todd Whitman, who was also a Freeholder during portions of that time.<ref>{{cite web |first=David |last=Wildstein |url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/ex-congressman-pappas-mulls-state-senate-bid-for-bateman-seat/ |title=Ex-Congressman Pappas mulls State Senate bid for Bateman seat |website=New Jersey Globe |publisher=Sea of Reeds Media |date=February 8, 2021 |access-date=May 19, 2021}}</ref>
===Congress=== [[File:Mike Pappas being sworn in as a Member of Congress by Newt Gingrich.jpg|thumb|left|Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich swears in Pappas in 1997 during the ceremonial swearing in]] [[File:New Jersey Delegation before the Joint Economic Committee Hearing on Auto Insurance Reform.jpg|thumb|left|Pappas meets with Governor of New Jersey Christine Todd Whitman and fellow New Jersey Republican Representatives Frank LoBiondo (2nd district) and Jim Saxton (3rd district) in 1997.]] In 1996, Pappas ran for the House of Representatives in New Jersey's 12th congressional district. The incumbent, Republican Dick Zimmer, gave up his seat to run for the U.S. Senate that year. Pappas won the Republican primary, defeating State Senator John O. Bennett and Assemblyman (and future 7th district Representative) Leonard Lance. He then won the general election against Lambertville Mayor David DelVecchio.
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, and resurrecting the controversial "Star Wars" national missile defense.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}
He was a strong supporter of the impeachment of Bill Clinton, and his infamous singing of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Kenneth Starr" on the House floor<ref>Beiler, David. [https://web.archive.org/web/20170202074626/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-54709845.html "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):"</ref> contributed to his defeat by Rush Holt in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2000/04/13/newjersey/|title=The song that changed New Jersey|date=13 April 2000}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/05/nyregion/1998-elections-region-new-jersey-upset-traced-part-partisan-song.html|title = THE 1998 ELECTIONS: THE REGION -- NEW JERSEY; an Upset is Traced, in Part, to a Partisan Song|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 5 November 1998|last1 = Peterson|first1 = Iver}}</ref>
In 2000, Pappas unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for his old congressional seat, losing a highly contentious primary to the more moderate Zimmer by 62 to 38% margin. Holt narrowly defeated Zimmer in the general election to retain his seat.
==Later career== During the George W. Bush administration, Pappas worked for the Small Business Administration in Washington, D.C. He moved back to New Jersey in 2009 after Bush's presidency ended.
In June 2016, Pappas was hired as the Borough Administrator of High Bridge, New Jersey.<ref>Staff. [http://www.newjerseyhills.com/hunterdon_review/news/former-congressman-mike-pappas-named-new-high-bridge-administrator/article_8246274c-3ffd-5dbd-aae6-bedeb80b7e26.html "Former Congressman Mike Pappas named new High Bridge administrator"], ''Hunterdon Review'', June 23, 2016; accessed August 31, 2016. "The borough has hired Michael Pappas as part-time administrator, replacing the recently exited John Gregory."</ref> In December 2019, Pappas was named by Bridgewater Mayor-elect Matt Moench to be the municipality's next Township Administrator.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Deak |first1=Mike |title=Former NJ congressman Mike Pappas named Bridgewater Township administrator |url=https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/somerset-county/2019/12/02/ex-nj-congressman-mike-pappas-named-bridgewater-township-administrator/2588173001/ |website=Courier News |accessdate=April 5, 2020 |date=December 2, 2019}}</ref>
===State Senate campaign=== In 2021, Pappas announced that he would be running for the Republican nomination for State Senate in New Jersey's 16th legislative district. The incumbent, Christopher "Kip" Bateman, a moderate Republican who barely won re-election in 2017, decided to retire. The 16th district had previously been a safe Republican district, but after re-districting in 2011, it became a swing district after the removal of Bridgewater and the addition of Princeton. Both of its Assembly seats flipped from red to blue during the 2010s decade. In the early stages of the race, he again competed against Zimmer, who, like Pappas, was also making his first run for political office in over a decade. After Pappas won the organization line for Somerset County, a large part of the 16th district, Zimmer dropped out of the race.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/former-congressman-mike-pappas-will-run-for-state-senate/ |title=Former congressman Mike Pappas will run for State Senate |website=New Jersey Globe |publisher=Sea of Reeds Media |date=February 17, 2021 |access-date=May 19, 2021}}</ref> Pappas won the Republican primary in June 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/pappas-wins-gop-senate-nod-in-district-16/|title=Pappas wins GOP Senate nod in District 16|date=9 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://patch.com/new-jersey/hillsborough/district-16-senate-assembly-primary-election-results-2021|title=Pappas Wins GOP Nomination for District 16 Senate Race, AP Says|date=9 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tapinto.net/towns/east-brunswick/articles/zwicker-and-pappas-will-face-off-in-general-election-for-ld-16-state-senate-seat|title = Zwicker and Pappas will Face off in General Election for LD 16 State Senate Seat}}</ref> He lost the general election to Democrat Andrew Zwicker, the district's state assemblyman in November 2021.
==Electoral history== {{Election box begin no change|title=12th District Republican House Primary, 1996<ref>{{cite web|title=Official List, Primary Election Returns for the Office of U.S. House of Representatives for Election Held June 4, 1996|url=http://nj.gov/state/elections/election-results/1996-primary-election-results-house.pdf|publisher=Secretary of State of New Jersey|accessdate=September 2, 2016|date=July 2, 1996}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change| |party = Republican Party (US) |candidate = Mike Pappas |votes = 11,069 |percentage = 38.1 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Republican Party (US) |candidate = John Bennett |votes = 9,894 |percentage = 34.0 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Republican Party (US) |candidate = Leonard Lance |votes = 7,630 |percentage = 26.2 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Republican Party (US) |candidate = Luis De Agustin |votes = 481 |percentage = 1.7 |change = }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 29,074 | percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change| title=12th District House general election, 1996<ref name="clerkresults">{{cite 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 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080730201058/http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html |archive-date=2008-07-30 }}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change| |party = Republican Party (US) |candidate = Mike Pappas |votes = 135,811 |percentage = 50.4 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Democratic Party (US) |candidate = David M. Del Vecchio |votes = 125,594 |percentage = 46.7 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Independent (politician) |candidate = Virginia A. Flynn |votes = 3,955 |percentage = 1.5 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Independent (politician) |candidate = Joseph M. Mercurio |votes = 2,650 |percentage = 1.0 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Independent (politician) |candidate = Philip G. Cenicola |votes = 1,211 |percentage = 0.4 |change = }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 269,221 | percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change| title=12th District House general election, 1998<ref name="clerkresults" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Official List, 1998 Election Candidates for House of Representatives|url=http://nj.gov/state/elections/election-results/1998-gen-elect-candidates-us-house.pdf|publisher=Secretary of State of New Jersey|accessdate=September 2, 2016|date=August 31, 1998}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change| |party = Democratic Party (US) |candidate = Rush Holt |votes = 92,528 |percentage = 50.1 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Republican Party (US) |candidate = Mike Pappas |votes = 87,221 |percentage = 47.2 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Libertarian Party (US) |candidate = Joseph A. Siano |votes = 2,125 |percentage = 1.2 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Green Party of the United States |candidate = Madelyn R. Hoffman |votes = 1,409 |percentage = 0.8 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Reform Party of the United States of America |candidate = Beverly Kidder |votes = 749 |percentage = 0.4 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Natural Law Party (United States) |candidate = Mary Jo Christian |votes = 578 |percentage = 0.3 |change = }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 184,610 | percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change| title=12th District Republican House Primary, 2000<ref>{{cite web|title=Official List, Candidate Returns for House of Representatives for June 2000 Primary Election|url=http://nj.gov/state/elections/election-results/2000-primary-elect-house-candidate-tallies.pdf|publisher=Secretary of State of New Jersey|accessdate=September 2, 2016|date=April 17, 2008}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change| |party = Republican Party (US) |candidate = Dick Zimmer |votes = 19,084 |percentage = 62.0 |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Republican Party (US) |candidate = Mike Pappas |votes = 11,692 |percentage = 38.0 |change = }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 30,776 | percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change |title = 16th District State Senate Republican Primary, 2021<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2021/2021-official-primary-candidates-senate.pdf |title=Official List: Candidates for State Senate for Primary Election 06/08/2021 (PDF) |website=State of New Jersey |access-date=May 19, 2021}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Mike Pappas | votes = 7,146 | percentage = 64.5 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Jeffrey Grant | votes = 3,934 | percentage = 35.5 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 11,080 | percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change |title = 16th District State Senate General Election, 2021<ref name="GeneralResults">{{cite web |title=Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 06/08/2021 Election |url=https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2021/2021-official-general-results-state-senate.pdf |publisher=Secretary of State of New Jersey |access-date=December 12, 2021 |date=November 30, 2021}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = Democratic Party (United States) | candidate = Andrew Zwicker | votes = 41,837 | percentage = 53.32 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Mike Pappas | votes = 36,632 | percentage = 46.68 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 78,469 | percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change |title = 16th Legislative District General Election, 2023<ref name=generalres>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2023/2023-official-general-results-state-senate.pdf|website=New Jersey Department of State|title=Official List, Candidates for State Senate for GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election|date=December 6, 2023|access-date=December 6, 2023}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = Democratic Party (United States) | candidate = Andrew Zwicker (incumbent) | votes = 34,693 | percentage = 56.5 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Mike Pappas | votes = 25,839 | percentage = 42.0 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Libertarian Party (United States) | candidate = Richard J. Byrne | votes = 922 | percentage = 1.5 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 61,454 | percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{ballotpedia|Mike_Pappas|Mike Pappas}} *{{CongLinks | congbio=P000049 | votesmart=490 | fec=H6NJ12102 | congress=michael-pappas/P000049 }} *{{C-SPAN|45535}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/19980524004800/http://www.house.gov/pappas/ Official US Congress site] (via archive.org)
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Dick Zimmer}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the U.S. House of Representatives<br>from New Jersey's 12th congressional district|years=1997–1999}} {{s-aft|after=Rush Holt}} |- {{s-prec|usa}} {{s-bef|before=William J. Martini|as=Former U.S. Representative}} {{s-ttl|title=Order of precedence of the United States<br>''{{small|as Former U.S. Representative}}''|years=}} {{s-aft|after=Don Johnson Jr.|as=Former U.S. Representative}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pappas, Mike}} Category:1960 births Category:20th-century mayors of places in New Jersey Category:20th-century United States representatives Category:21st-century New Jersey politicians Category:American people of Greek descent Category:County commissioners in New Jersey Category:Living people Category:Mayors of places in New Jersey Category:New Jersey city council members Category:People from Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey Category:Politicians from New Brunswick, New Jersey Category:Republican Party United States representatives from New Jersey Category:Small Business Administration personnel