# Thomas Costa

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Thomas_Costa
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Thomas_Costa.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Costa
> Source revision: 1261753492
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{short description|American politician}}
'''Thomas J. Costa''' (June 30, 1912 – April 1, 2003) was an American [Republican Party](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) politician who served two terms in the [New Jersey General Assembly](/source/New_Jersey_General_Assembly), as well as serving as the mayor of [Teaneck, New Jersey](/source/Teaneck%2C_New_Jersey), and as a Bergen County Freeholder.

==Early life==
Costa was born June 30, 1912, in Bronx, New York, the son of Joseph and Mary Costa.  He was a member of the first graduating class of [Teaneck High School](/source/Teaneck_High_School), in 1931.<ref>{{cite web|title=Campaign material kept in Teaneck Public Library Clipping File|url=http://www.teaneck.org/virtualvillage/mayors/costa/costa.html|publisher=Teaneck Public Library|accessdate=31 December 2014}}</ref>  He is a graduate of [New York University](/source/New_York_University) and [John Marshall Law School](/source/John_Marshall_Law_School_(Chicago)).

==Elected office==
He was elected to the Board of Education of the [Teaneck Public Schools](/source/Teaneck_Public_Schools) in 1946, and was re-elected in 1949 and 1952.  Costa was elected to the Teaneck Township Council in 1958, along with another young politician, [Matthew Feldman](/source/Matthew_Feldman).  He was re-elected in 1962 and 1966. He was Deputy Mayor from 1962 to 1966. After Feldman was elected to the State Senate, Costa replaced Feldman as Mayor, where he served from 1966 to 1969.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mayors, Chairmen, and Council Members (1895 - 2000)|url=http://www.teaneck.org/virtualvillage/mayors/index.html|publisher=Teaneck Public Library|accessdate=31 December 2014}}</ref>

Costa was elected to the State Assembly in 1967, as part of the same Republican tide that swept Feldman out of office.  Costa and his running mate, [Austin Volk](/source/Austin_Volk), defeated two freshman Democratic incumbents, [Vito Albanese](/source/Vito_Albanese) and [Arnold E. Brown](/source/Arnold_E._Brown).  Costa finished first in that race, beating Brown by over 10,000 votes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Campaigns|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=740789|website=www.ourcampaigns.com|accessdate=31 December 2014}}</ref>  He was re-elected in 1969, running on a ticket with [William J. Dorgan](/source/William_J._Dorgan); they defeated Democratic challengers Martin T. Durkin and Ernest Allen Cohen by about 10,000 votes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Campaigns|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=740988|website=www.ourcampaigns.com|accessdate=31 December 2014}}</ref>

Costa did not seek re-election to a third term as an Assemblyman in 1971; instead, he ran successfully for a seat on the Bergen County [Board of Chosen Freeholders](/source/Board_of_County_Commissioners_(New_Jersey)). He lost a bid for re-election in the Democratic landslide of 1974.

==Family==
In 1937, Costa married Alvera Manewal (1913-2004) in St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Teaneck, New Jersey, in 1937. Both were members of the first graduation class of Teaneck High School in June 1931. They had two children: Thomas J. Costa, Jr., and Arlene Costa Miller.  Costa died in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 1, 2003, at age 90.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Costa, Thomas J.}}
Category:20th-century mayors of places in New Jersey
Category:Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly
Category:County commissioners in New Jersey
Category:Mayors of Teaneck, New Jersey
Category:New Jersey city council members
Category:New York University alumni
Category:University of Illinois Chicago School of Law alumni
Category:Politicians from the Bronx
Category:1912 births
Category:2003 deaths
Category:School board members in New Jersey
Category:Teaneck High School alumni
Category:20th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Thomas Costa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Costa) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Costa?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.