Herb Conaway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Herb Conaway
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 3rd district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Andy Kim |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 7th district |
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| In office January 13, 1998 – January 1, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Diane Allen |
| Succeeded by | Balvir Singh |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Herbert Clark Hoover Conaway Jr.
January 30, 1963 Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education |
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| Website | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1992–1996 |
| Rank | Captain |
Herbert Clark Hoover Conaway Jr. (born January 30, 1963) is an American politician and a doctor. He is a former officer in the United States Air Force. Since January 2025, he has been a U.S. representative for New Jersey's 3rd congressional district.
Before becoming a U.S. Representative, he was a member of the Democratic Party. He served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1998 to 2025. There, he represented the 7th legislative district. He was also the Majority Whip from 2014 to 2017. He served as Deputy Speaker from 2002 to 2005 and again starting in 2022. He won his current seat in the 2024 U.S. House of Representatives election.
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Early Life and Education
Herb Conaway was born in Trenton on January 30, 1963. His mother, Eva Christine Conaway, was a nurse. His father, Herb Conaway Sr., was a history teacher. He grew up in Bordentown and went to high school there.
He studied politics at Princeton University, graduating in 1985. After that, he earned a medical degree (M.D.) from Jefferson Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. He also received a law degree (J.D.) from Rutgers School of Law—Newark. He is the only person in the New Jersey Legislature to hold both an M.D. and a J.D. degree.
Military Service and Medical Career
Conaway served in the United States Air Force Medical Corps from 1992 to 1996. He reached the rank of Captain. During his service, he worked at McGuire Air Force Base in Burlington County. He was a general medical officer and an assistant director of a clinic there.
He continues to practice medicine while serving in government. He specializes in internal medicine. He is currently the director of the internal medicine clinic at St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton. He used to work at Cooper University Hospital and had a practice in Willingboro. He lives in Moorestown.
Serving in the New Jersey Assembly
Conaway was first elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1997. He represented the 7th District. He served alongside Jack Conners for many years. Later, he worked with Troy Singleton and then Carol A. Murphy. He was the Assembly's Deputy Speaker from 2002 to 2005.
He has supported public health measures. For example, in 2011, he opposed a bill that would allow parents to opt out of mandatory vaccinations for their children. He called it a "recipe for disaster." In 2019, he supported a law to remove religious exemptions for school vaccination requirements.
Assembly Committee Roles
In the New Jersey Assembly, Herb Conaway had important roles on committees. These committees help decide on new laws.
- Health, Chair (meaning he led this committee)
- Budget
- Military and Veterans' Affairs
About District 7
New Jersey has 40 legislative districts. Each district has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. For the 2024—2025 Legislative Session, the representatives from the 7th District were:
- Senator Troy Singleton (Democrat)
- Assemblyman Herb Conaway (Democrat)
- Assemblywoman Carol A. Murphy (Democrat)
U.S. House of Representatives
Herb Conaway ran for the United States House of Representatives in 2004 but did not win. He ran again for New Jersey's 3rd congressional district in the 2024 election. The previous representative, Andy Kim, decided to run for the Senate.
Conaway officially entered the race in December 2023. He won the Democratic primary election in June 2024. He then became the Democratic candidate to take over Andy Kim's seat. He won the general election in November 2024 and started his term in January 2025.
House Committee Roles
As a U.S. Representative, Herb Conaway serves on important committees in Congress. These committees work on different issues for the country.
- Committee on Small Business
- Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs (Vice Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Health
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Groups He Belongs To
Conaway is also a member of special groups in Congress. These groups focus on specific interests or goals.
- New Democrat Coalition
- Congressional Black Caucus
Election Results
Here are the results from some of the elections Herb Conaway has been a part of.
2024 U.S. House Election
In the 2024 election for the U.S. House of Representatives, Herb Conaway won the Democratic primary and then the general election for New Jersey's 3rd District.
- Democratic Primary, 2024
- Herb Conaway: 27,528 votes (49.62%)
- Carol A. Murphy: 14,049 votes (25.32%)
- Joe Cohn: 6,517 votes (11.75%)
- Sarah Schoengood: 5,524 votes (9.96%)
- Brian Schkeeper: 1,862 votes (3.36%)
- Total votes: 55,480
- General Election, 2024
- Herb Conaway (Democratic): 202,034 votes (53.2%)
- Rajesh Mohan (Republican): 169,454 votes (44.6%)
- Steven Welzer (Green Party): 3,478 votes (0.9%)
- Chris Russomanno (Libertarian): 1,951 votes (0.5%)
- Douglas Wynn (Independent): 1,332 votes (0.3%)
- Justin Barbera (Independent): 1,235 votes (0.3%)
- Total votes: 379,484
