Running on a platform of open government, property tax relief, and the elimination of waste and inefficiency, Moriarty was elected Mayor of Washington Township in November 2004. He garnered 60% of the vote in a hotly contested four-way race in which Republican voters were sharply divided.[5] He was mayor of Washington Township for one term from 2005 until 2008. After forming a recall committee, on June 9, 2006, a Washington Township resident filed a petition to recall Moriarty from his post as mayor, with the goal of placing the initiative on the November 2006 general election ballot based on obtaining the requisite number of about 8,000 signatures needed for recall.[6] The recall effort was ultimately unsuccessful.[7]
New Jersey Assembly
Moriarty was elected to the Assembly on November 8, 2005, filling the seat of fellow Democrat Robert J. Smith II, who did not run for re-election and had held the seat in the Assembly since 2000.
On June 1, 2006, Assemblyman Moriarty, along with State Senator Stephen M. Sweeney (D, 3rd legislative district) and fellow Assembly Democrat Jerry Green (D, 22nd legislative district), held a press conference to announce their support for significant cuts to New Jersey state worker salaries and benefits of up to 15%. This effort was proposed to avoid a one-point increase in the state's sales tax designed to cover a multibillion-dollar gap in the state's budget. Significant negative reaction from the state's labor unions resulted primarily because of Sweeney's position as an Ironworkers business agent and treasurer from Gloucester County for Ironworker's Local 399, and also due to his position as the chairman of the Senate Labor committee which controls most labor-related bills, but also because of Moriarty's history as an AFTRA shop steward and stated support of the collective bargaining process.[8]
New Jersey Senate
With Fred H. Madden not running for re-election, Moriarty ran to fill his seat and defeated Republican Christopher W. Del Borrello and independent Giuseppe Costanzo in the 2023 New Jersey Senate election.[9][10]
Committees
Committee assignments for the current session are:[1]
On July 31, 2012, Moriarty was pulled over by Washington Township police officer Joseph DiBuonaventura on Route 42 for allegedly driving while intoxicated.[14] Moriarty denied the charges. The police dashcam in DiBuonaventura's car contradicted his police report and charges against Moriarty were dismissed.[14] DiBuonaventura was found not guilty on charges of misconduct and further charges against him were dropped when a judge ruled that the Township's police procedures were unlawful.[15] As a result of the incident, Moriarty has created legislation that would require dashcams in all new police cars.[16]
Electoral history
Senate
4th Legislative District General Election, 2023[17]
^Nguyen, Anna. "Wash. Twp. mayor: I'm walking the walk", Courier-Post, December 9, 2006. Accessed September 6, 2011. "'If he can sit in his office, he can sit with the council to answer questions from residents', said Mordente, who launched an unsuccessful bid to recall Moriarty that ended in November."
^Volpe, Gregory J. "Lawmakers urge cuts for state workers", Asbury Park Press, June 2, 2006. Accessed August 8, 2007. "Sen. Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, and Assemblymen Jerry Green, D-Union, and Paul Moriarty, D-Gloucester, unleashed a series of proposals Thursday to curb spending on state workers, which sparked immediate outcry from labor groups."
1.8
2.2