Douglas J. Steinhardt is a Republican member of the New Jersey Senate representing the 23rd Legislative District, which encompasses municipalities in Hunterdon, Somerset, and Warren counties. The district's most populous communities include Bridgewater Township, Phillipsburg, Hackettstown, Bound Brook, and Mansfield Township. Steinhardt was sworn into office on December 19, 2022, and won election to a full term in November 2023. His public service began in Lopatcong Township, where he served as mayor from 2000 to 2014. He was elected chairman of the Warren County Republican Committee in 2004 and still holds the post. In November 2017, he was named chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, serving until December 2020.

Born on November 6, 1968, in Warren County, Steinhardt graduated from Belvidere High School in 1987. He earned a bachelor's degree in history from Gettysburg College in 1991, where he was a four-year member of the football team, and a J.D. from Widener University School of Law in 1994, where he served as associate editor of the law review. Steinhardt returned to Warren County after law school to practice with his father, Joseph W. Steinhardt, before opening his own firm in 2005. He is a named partner at Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton and Taylor, LLC, where he practices land use, litigation, commercial transactions, labor and employment, and family law. He serves as Sussex County Counsel, general counsel to Warren County Community College and the Warren County Sheriff's Department, New Jersey general counsel to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, and labor counsel for Sussex and Warren counties.

Political Career

• Mayor, Lopatcong Township (2000–2014)
• Chairman, Warren County Republican Committee (2004–present)
• Chairman, New Jersey Republican State Committee (2017–2020)
• Candidate, Governor of New Jersey (2021, withdrew)
• New Jersey State Senate, District 23 (2022–present)

Key Policy Areas

• Budget and appropriations
• Labor and employment law
• Municipal governance and land use
• Public safety and substance abuse prevention
• Mental health services

Notable Actions / Initiatives

• Served five terms as mayor of Lopatcong Township, overseeing municipal governance from 2000 to 2014.
• Elected chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee in November 2017 following the gubernatorial election, leading the party through the 2018 and 2020 cycles.
• Co-founded the Warren County Addiction Awareness Task Force in 2017 to address opioid and substance abuse issues, and later co-founded the Warren County Mental Health Task Force.
• Nominated by President Donald Trump in January 2025 to serve as United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey; withdrew from consideration the following month.
• Sworn in as state senator on December 19, 2022, following a special convention to fill the unexpired term of Senator Michael Doherty, and won election to a full term in 2023.

Education

• B.A., History, Gettysburg College (1991)
• J.D., Widener University School of Law (1994)

Personal

• Birth date: November 6, 1968
• Residence: Lopatcong Township