Christopher_"Kip"_Bateman

Kip Bateman

Kip Bateman

American Republican Party politician

Christopher "Kip" Bateman (born October 9, 1957) is an American Republican Party politician, who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2008 to 2022, representing the 16th Legislative District. He previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1994 to 2008, also in the 16th district.

Quick Facts Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 16th district, Preceded by ...

Personal life

He was born in Somerville, New Jersey to Raymond Bateman, who represented the 16th district in the New Jersey Senate in the 1960s and 1970s, and was the Republican candidate for Governor of New Jersey in 1977, losing to incumbent Brendan Byrne. Bateman graduated from Somerville High School,[1] and received a B.A. in 1980 from Ithaca College in Political Science and History and was awarded a J.D. in 1987 from the Seton Hall University School of Law.[2] He lives in the Neshanic Station section of Branchburg Township, and is married with four children: Chris, Joe, Stephanie, and Katie.[3]

Political career

Somerset County politics

Bateman served on the Branchburg Township Committee from 1983 to 1988 and was its Mayor in 1986. He then served on the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1988 to 1994 and was its Director in 1992. After being elected to the New Jersey General Assembly, Bateman was appointed to the Task Force to Study Homeowner Associations from 1996 to 1997 and the Delaware and Raritan Transportation Safety Study Commission from 1995 to 1996.[2]

New Jersey State Assembly

Bateman served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1994 to 2008, where he was the Assembly's Assistant Republican Leader from 2004 to 2005, was the Assistant Republican Whip from 2002 to 2003, the Majority Whip in 1996 and was the Assistant Majority Whip from 1994 to 1995. Bateman served in the Assembly on the Commerce and Economic Development Committee, the Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee and the Legislative Services Commission.[2]

New Jersey State Senate

In the 2007 legislative elections, Bateman won the State Senate seat of retiring Senator Walter J. Kavanaugh.[4] Prior to the 2011 redistricting, the 16th district consisted of most of Somerset County. Following the 2011 redistricting, towns in northern and eastern parts of Somerset (including Bridgewater) were removed, and were replaced by a portion of Hunterdon County, and the Democratic towns of South Brunswick and Princeton. This made the 16th district a swing district.[5] He fended off a challenge by Democrat Maureen Vella by defeating her by 9 points in 2011.[6] His 2013 election winning margin was larger as he defeated Christian Mastondrea by 20 points.[7]

During the 2019 budget fight, Democrats defied Governor Phil Murphy and passed a budget without his proposed millionaire's tax. Bateman was one of six Republicans to vote for the budget.[8]

On January 27, 2021, Bateman announced that he would be retiring and not run for re-election to the State Senate in 2021.[9]

Bateman is a moderate Republican. He has been known to break with his party and vote with Democrats on environmental issues, as he is a believer in climate change. In addition, in each of his elections to the state legislature, Bateman received the endorsement of New Jersey environmental activist and New Jersey Sierra Club director Jeff Tittel, one of few Republicans that he has endorsed. Tittel and the Sierra Club awarded Bateman their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.[10]

Committees

  • Environment and Energy
  • Judiciary

Electoral history

Senate

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Assembly

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References

  1. [1]
    Hirsch, Rod. "Kip Bateman Reflects on 39 Years of Public Service to Somerset County", TAP into Somerville, January 9, 2022. Accessed December 5, 2022. "The elder Bateman has always been his son's hero, a newspaper publisher and public relations executive who ran for Governor of New Jersey in 1977, losing to Democrat Brendan Byrne. His son followed in his footsteps - Ray Bateman was elected to the Assembly in 1958 and the state Senate in 1967. Both were born in Somerville. Both attended Somerville High School."
  2. [2]
    Senator Bateman's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed April 23, 2008.
  3. [3]
    Assembly Member Christopher 'Kip' Bateman, Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 10, 2007.
  4. [4]
    Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2007 General Election Archived 2012-08-22 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of State, December 3, 2007. Accessed June 22, 2012.
  5. [5]
    Magyar, Mark (April 11, 2011). "Redistricting scrambles Morris and Somerset districts". Echoes Sentinel. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  6. [6]
    Duffy, Erin (November 8, 2011). "State Sens. Greenstein and Turner easily win re-election". The Times of Trenton. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  7. [7]
    Cuyler, Greta (November 6, 2013). "16th District Incumbents Win Re-Election". Princeton Patch. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  8. [8]
    "Senate passes budget 31-6". New Jersey Globe. 20 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  9. [9]
    "Bateman will not seek re-election". New Jersey Globe. Sea of Reeds Media. January 27, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  10. [10]
    Wildstein, David (January 27, 2021). "Statements on the retirement of Senator Kip Bateman". New Jersey Globe. Sea of Reeds Media. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  11. [11]
    "2017-official-general-election-results-state-senate.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  12. [12]
    "Official List Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/05/2015 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. December 4, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  13. [13]
    Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2011 General Election Archived 2012-07-13 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of State, December 14, 2011. Accessed June 22, 2012.
  14. [14]
    "05831236.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  15. [15]
    "2003g_a_candidate_tally.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  16. [16]
    "2001-general-elect-gen-assembly-tallies.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  17. [17]
    "1999-general-elect-gen-assembly-candidate-tallies.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  18. [18]
    "1997-general-election-results-state-assembly.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  19. [19]
    "NJ General Assembly 16". Our Campaigns. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  20. [20]
    "1993-general-election-results-state-sen-gen-assembly.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
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