In 1995, overtaxed Bogota homeowners elected Steve Lonegan as Mayor and ended years of Democratic Party rule. 

Town finances were in shambles.  Taxes were skyrocketing, municipal debt was out of control and spending was going through the roof - far beyond the inflation rate and the homeowner's ability to pay.

Steve Lonegan, who had never run for office before, brought a "Taxpayers First" philosophy to boro government, leading to the elimination of wasteful and duplicative services, privatization of some functions and a more cost-efficient user-friendly government. 

As a result, Bogota's municipal spending remained constant for the entire twelve years of Steve's tenure.  Mayor Lonegan kept debt and tax increases far below inflation despite of massive state mandates and aid reductions to suburban towns like Bogota.  None of the other 565 New Jersey Mayors could boast of such a record.

Thanks to Steve's strong, conservative leadership, Republicans kept council control for eleven straight elections and Steve was reelected in 1999 and 2003 by double digit margins over his Democratic opponent.  He did not run for reelection in 2007.

As Mayor, Lonegan stood up to powerful public employee labor by bringing in civilian dispatchers rather than highly paid police officers.  His successful effort to stop LOSAP benefits for volunteers saved taxpayers hundreds of thousands annually.  Steve Lonegan created the Taxpayer Bill of Rights that requires a public vote for new municipal debt or public employee contracts that exceed inflation.  The Lonegan approach has always been aimed at one thing: putting taxpayers first.

Steve Lonegan saw that his role as Mayor took him beyond municipal borders.  Whether it was fighting the Newark Arena, illegal state bonding, proposed gasoline tax hikes or countless other taxpayer rip-offs, Mayor Lonegan has and continues to speak out for frustrated taxpayers all over the state taking on Governors and legislators in both parties to do what was right for working families and all taxpayers.

Since coming to Americans for Prosperity in 2006, Steve continued his fight for taxpayers by defeating two state ballot questions last November.  The first would have forced an 8% sales tax for phony property tax "reform" and the second that would have bonded nearly a half billion dollars for taxpayer financed Embryonic Stem Cell "research."

The Star Ledger's Paul Mulshine said that "Lonegan singlehandedly ignited the biggest taxpayer revolt since the Florio years" by defeating these two questions.  With the ink on the results barely dry, Lonegan led the fight to stop Governor Corzine's $38 Billion Toll Hike and Borrowing Scheme.

In between all this, Steve published a book "Putting Taxpayers First," where he outlines a blueprint for Republican victories in the Garden State.

Steve Lonegan was born in Teaneck's Holy Name Hospital on April 27, 1956.  He grew up and graduated from High School in Ridgefield Park where he set several high school track records.  Steve earned a B.A. in Business Administration from William Paterson College where he was Football Team Captain and an All Conference Division Center, later earning an M.B.A. from Farleigh Dickinson University.

Steve built and managed retail, custom homebuilding and manufacturing businesses employing dozens of workers, prior to becoming Americans for Prosperity state director for New Jersey.

Married to the former Lorraine Rossi, Steve lives in Bogota with his daughters Brooke and Katherine.  The Lonegan family attends St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Bogota.

Whether it is speaking out for taxpayers, taking on state bureaucrats or fighting for homeowners, no one in New Jersey is as vocal, as active and as determined to succeed as Steve Lonegan.  Tough and independent, Mayor Steve Lonegan is the undisputed champion of New Jersey's overtaxed working families.