Name Bo Sullivan | ||
Joseph Aloysius "Bo" Sullivan (February 10, 1937 – March 13, 2000) was an American business leader and Republican Party politician who sought the GOP nomination for Governor of New Jersey in 1981.
Sullivan was a graduate of Princeton University and received his law degree from Seton Hall University. He was the President and CEO of Bomont Industries, once among the largest manufacturers of typewriter ribbons in the United States. He served as Finance Chairman of the Essex County Republican Committee and was a top fundraiser for Ronald Reagan in 1980.
1981 Republican Primary for Governor of New Jersey
In 1981, Sullivan eschewed public financing and spent more than $2 million of his own money to win the Republican nomination for Governor, but was unsuccessful. He finished third in an eight-candidate field, behind former Assembly Speaker Thomas Kean and former Paterson Mayor Pat Kramer. His campaign was managed by Karl Ottesen, who had run the stealth U.S. Senate race of Alphonse D'Amato in New York the previous year. The race got a little nasty when the second-generation Irish American Sullivan sort of criticized Kean for his patrician background. In trying to portray Kean as out of touch with common folk, Sullivan ran a TV ad that said ""This isn't the kind of guy who would buy you a beer in Bayonne." Toward the end of the campaign, he received support from key Right to Life groups.
Sullivan won kudos from GOP leaders when he showed up at Kean's victory celebration to offer his support. Later, he joined Kean for a beer at a Bayonne bar. After Kean won, he named Sullivan as Chairman of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. He served as New Jersey Co-Chairman of George H.W. Bush's 1988. He was often mentioned as possible U.S. Ambassador to Ireland under Bush. He was viewed as a likely candidate for Governor in 1989, but declined to run.
A resident of Essex Fells, and later New Vernon, Sullivan died at age 63 following a stroke.