13 Facts About Joseph McGahn

Joseph Leo McGahn was an American obstetrician and Democratic Party politician from New Jersey who served in the New Jersey Senate from 1972 to 1978, where he was a key figure in bringing casino gambling to Atlantic City.

Joseph McGahn won the Democratic primary for State Senate in 1971 in the district, in which registered Republican Party heavily outnumbered Democrats, and ran for office without the support of the local Democratic Party leadership.

On Election Day, November 3,1971, McGahn defeated incumbent Frank S Farley, who had served a total of 34 years in the New Jersey Legislature, to win a seat in the New Jersey Senate, in a race in which McGahn focused on corruption, in the wake of federal investigation of the Republican Party machine in Atlantic City.

Shortly after taking office, Joseph McGahn was the cosponsor of a bill to bring casino gambling to New Jersey.

Joseph McGahn was described by The New York Times as the "principal architect" of legislation that brought casino gambling to Atlantic City.

Joseph McGahn pushed for the creation of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, considered the most rigorous casino enforcement agency at the time.

Joseph McGahn ran for office again in 1973, again winning without support of the Democratic establishment.

In 1974, Joseph McGahn pushed for legislation granting exemptions to healthcare institutions from a requirement to provide abortions or sterilizations if they objected on religious or moral grounds.

Joseph McGahn ran in the general election as an independent, with Perskie beating both Joseph McGahn and Republican candidate Frederick Perone.

In 1981, Joseph McGahn ran for and won the Republican primary, and again challenged Perskie in the general election.

Perskie won reelection with 29,151 votes, defeating Joseph McGahn, who received 28,149.

Joseph McGahn had been a longtime resident of Absecon, New Jersey.

Joseph McGahn died on December 24,1999, at Meadowview Nursing Home in Northfield, New Jersey.