1. Vin Gopal was born on May 18,1985 and is an American Democratic politician who took office on January 9,2018, to represent the 11th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate, which covers portions of Monmouth County.
26 Facts About Vin Gopal
1. 2.
Vin Gopal was born in Neptune Township to Indian Malayali parents from Kerala, India.
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Vin Gopal's parents came to the United States in the early 1970s and settled in New Jersey.
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Vin Gopal graduated in 2003 from Ranney School in Tinton Falls, New Jersey.
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Vin Gopal holds a bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University and a master's degree from Rutgers University.
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Vin Gopal served on the Board of Trustees of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Monmouth County from 2010 to 2012.
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Vin Gopal previously served on the board of directors of the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce, now called the Monmouth County Chamber of Commerce, from 2009 to 2012.
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From 2010 to 2013, Vin Gopal served as President of the Hazlet Business Owners Association.
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In 2017, Vin Gopal resigned the Chairmanship, announcing his intention to run for Senate in the 11th Legislative District against Republican incumbent Jennifer Beck.
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Vin Gopal ran alongside first-term Democratic incumbents Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling and Assemblywoman Joann Downey.
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In November 2017, Vin Gopal was elected to the State Senate.
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Vin Gopal is the first Indian-American to be elected to New Jersey's State Senate, and his victory was described by NJ.
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Vin Gopal won numerous towns which Murphy lost, including Eatontown and Ocean Township.
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On January 9,2018, shortly after his swearing-in, Vin Gopal was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee as well as a member of the Economic Growth Committee and Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.
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Vin Gopal is currently the youngest member of the New Jersey State Senate.
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On January 1 of 2019, Vin Gopal was appointed Chairman of the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.
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Vin Gopal nevertheless was narrowly re-elected as Senator by a margin of approximately 2,600 votes, running more than 5,000 votes ahead of Murphy; he was the only Democratic state legislator to win in a district carried by Ciattarelli.
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Vin Gopal's Democratic running mates for seats in the General Assembly, Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul, defeated Republican incumbents Marilyn Piperno and Kimberly Eulner by smaller margins.
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Vin Gopal's victory was easily enough to get his two running mates, Assemblywomen-elect Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul, elected against incumbent Republicans Marilyn Piperno and Kim Eulner.
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Vin Gopal was a key sponsor of the 988 Help Line, to assist those in crisis.
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Vin Gopal has been a long proponent and advocate for school district and government consolidation, arguing that New Jersey has too much government.
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Vin Gopal is pushing for mandated consolidation of government in order to try to lower property taxes.
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Vin Gopal championed the legislation to help with New Jersey's film tax credits which helped bring Netflix to New Jersey.
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Vin Gopal was a main sponsor of codifying a constitutional right to freedom of reproductive choice, making one of New Jersey one of the strongest women's healthcare protections states.
25.
Vin Gopal sponsored the law to ban smoking in New Jersey beaches.
26.
Vin Gopal sponsored the law to codify same-sex marriage in the statute.