Eric Munoz
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 21st district
In office
May 10, 2001 – March 30, 2009
Preceded byKevin J. O'Toole
Succeeded byNancy Munoz
Personal details
Born(1947-10-14)October 14, 1947
The Bronx, New York
DiedMarch 30, 2009(2009-03-30) (aged 61)
Newark, New Jersey
Cause of deathAortic aneurysm
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)? (divorced)
Nancy Ann Foster (1984-2009) (his death)
Childrenfive
ResidenceSummit, New Jersey
OccupationSurgeon

Eric Munoz (October 14, 1947 – March 30, 2009) was an American Republican Party politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from May 2001, where he represented the 21st legislative district, until his death on March 30, 2009. Munoz had served as the Deputy Conference Leader since 2006.

Early life

Munoz was born on October 14, 1947, in the Bronx, New York. His father, William Munoz, was a manager of a Freehold Borough waste water treatment plant and a general store in Colts Neck Township.[1] He grew up in Colts Neck first attending Atlantic Elementary School there and the Peddie School in Hightstown.[2]

Medical career

Munoz graduated with a B.A. degree from the University of Virginia in Pre-Med and received an M.D. degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He did his general surgery training at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and was also awarded his Master of Business Administration in Finance degree from Columbia University.[3][4]

Munoz was a practicing trauma surgeon and administrator at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He served on the National Institutes of Health Committee since 2002. From 1990 to 2001, he served as Chairman of the New Jersey Medical Practitioner Review Panel, where he was first appointed by Governor of New Jersey James Florio in 1990 and reappointed by Governor Christine Todd Whitman in 1995.

Political career

A longtime resident of Summit, New Jersey,[5] Munoz served on the Summit Common Council from 1996 until 2001.[3] He was a former Republican Municipal Chairman in Summit. He was elected to an unexpired term as Assemblyman in the old 21st Legislative District in 2001 to succeed Kevin J. O'Toole who became a State Senator.[6]

He was elected in 2001, and reelected in 2003, 2005 and 2007, to represent the new 21st District consisting of municipalities in Union, Morris, Essex and Somerset counties. He served as Deputy Leader of the Republican Conference for the 2006–2008 term.[3]

Munoz was the second legislator in the country to introduce the "Jessica Lunsford Act" - this bill requires a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 Years to life for "Aggravated Sexual Assault Against Children Under 13 Years of Age" The bill was signed into law in New Jersey, on May 15, 2014, with Assemblywoman Nancy F. Munoz as the sponsor.

Munoz served in the Assembly on the Health and Senior Services Committee and the Human Services Committee.[3]

Personal life

In 1984, he married Nancy Ann Foster at his parents' house in Freehold.[1] Together, they had five children.[2]

Munoz died from complications from a ruptured aortic aneurysm following heart surgery on March 30, 2009, at the age of 61.[7]

On April 27, 2009, a special convention was held by Republican county committee members to fill the vacancy caused by Munoz's death. His widow defeated two opponents, Long Hill Mayor George Vitureira and Long Hill School Board member Bruce Meringolo. The final tally was Munoz 174, Meringolo 34, Vitureira 16. Both Meringolo and Vitureira filed petitions to appear on the June 2009 Republican primary ballot.[8] Nancy Munoz filled the seat for the remainder of the term in January 2010 and has been elected in her own right since then.

References

  1. 1 2 "Nancy Ann Foster and Dr. Eric Munoz Are Wed". The New York Times. January 22, 1984. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey - Two Hundred and Eleventh Legislature (First Session) (PDF). Skinder-Strauss Associates. 2004. p. 273. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Assemblyman Eric Munoz (R)". New Jersey Legislature. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  4. ↑ Munoz's Curriculum Vitae, accessed April 30, 2007. Archived March 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Keill, Liz. "Summit's GOP, Democrats present candidates for June's Primary ballot", Independent Press, April 6, 2009. Accessed February 18, 2011. "'It's a difficult night tonight,' Mr. Lark said, referring to the death of long-time Summit resident and state assemblyman Eric Munoz."
  6. ↑ "New state assemblyman opens his district office in Summit", The Star-Ledger, July 27, 2001. Accessed August 14, 2007. "Munoz... is filling a vacancy created by redistricting and former state Assemblyman Kevin O'Toole (D-Essex) taking another legislative post."
  7. ↑ "Assemblyman Munoz dies". PolitickerNJ. 2009-03-30. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
  8. ↑ "Nancy Munoz wins seat vacated by husband's death in 21st District special convention". PolitickerNJ. 2009-04-27. Archived from the original on 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
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