Senator James Beach Contact information

James “Jim” Beach was born on October 28, 1946. He is an American Democratic Party politician who has served in the New Jersey Senate since 2009, where he represents the 6th legislative district. He has been the Assistant Majority Leader in the Senate since 2016.

Beach earned his B.S. degree in psychology from Midwestern College and a M.A. degree in personnel services from Rowan University. He also obtained a Doctoral Studies ABD in educational administration from Nova University. His professional experience includes working as a property damage specialist at All Risk.

A resident of Voorhees Township, Beach first entered Camden County politics after responding to a 1990 recruitment ad that county Democrats had posted seeking prospective candidates to burnish the party’s image and help retain the Democrats’ control of county government. Beach showed up at his interview with his tax bill complaining about his taxes, and was described by Freeholder Jeffrey L. Nash as just what the party was seeking in a candidate, “regular people complaining about their taxes”.

He was elected to the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1991, and was named as freeholder director in 1993. Beach was elected as Camden County Clerk in 1995. He served as county clerk until 2009 until he was appointed to the Senate seat formerly held by John Adler, who had won a seat in the United States House of Representatives. With the endorsement of George Norcross, Beach ran unopposed in the convention. Beach won a November 2009 special election in order to remain in the Senate through the end of Adler’s four-year term.

Beach saw his salary drop from $153,437 annually as county clerk to $49,000 as state senator, and indicated after his selection to fill the Senate seat that he would seek additional employment to supplement his salary, ensuring that there was no conflict with his position as senator. Beach was soon hired by Camden County College for a part-time job as an advisor, allowing him to collect an annual salary of $10,400 and remain in New Jersey’s Public Employee Retirement System, for which county clerks but not state senators are eligible.

As of the 2020 Census, New Jersey state senators represented an average of 232,362 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 220,188 residents. New Jersey State Senate District 6 is represented by James Beach (D). He assumed office in 2009. His current term ends on January 11, 2028. Beach (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the New Jersey State Senate to represent District 6. He won in the general election on November 7, 2023.