Tony Bucco

Anthony Mark Bucco (born April 12, 1962) is an American Republican Party politician who serves in the New Jersey General Assembly, representing the 25th legislative district. Bucco is an attorney who currently serves on the Morris County Republican Committee as its general counsel. He replaced retiring incumbent Assemblyman Rick Merkt in January 2010.

Tony Bucco is the son of current New Jersey Senator Anthony R. Bucco and his wife Helen. He is a lifelong resident of the Boonton, New Jersey area and attended Boonton High School.

Bucco attended Lycoming College and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and managerial economics. He then graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law and was admitted to the bar. Bucco has spent over twenty years as a municipal attorney in private practice, specializing in local government law. He is currently a partner in the law firm of Johnson, Murphy, Hubner, McKeon, Wubbenhorst, Bucco and Appelt, P.C. Although he has never held elective office, he has been involved in state issues such as the Highlands Act and affordable housing laws by representing municipalities on those issues in court.

Bucco has served in the Boonton Volunteer Fire Department for 28 years, attaining the rank of captain. Bucco has been involved in fighting alcohol and drug abuse, having served on the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse since 1998, and helped found Daytop New Jersey, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for teenagers, later serving on the organization's board of directors. He is also one of 22 commissioners of the Morris County Sheriff's CrimeStoppers program, and has served in that capacity since 1999.

After Assemblyman Rick Merkt announced that he would run for the Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey rather than seek re-election in 2009, Bucco announced that he would run for Merkt's seat, which was previously held by his father, Anthony R. Bucco, from 1995 to 1999. Bucco's brother-in-law, Morris County Freeholder Douglas Cabana, also announced his candidacy. Cabana's campaign emphasized his many years in elective office as a Boonton Township Councilman, Boonton Township Mayor, and Freeholder, contrasting this with Bucco's lack of experience in elective office. Bucco countered by accusing Cabana of running a negative campaign, pointing to a Cabana mailer containing "unpleasant photos" of Bucco and "some misinformation." Bucco defeated Cabana by less than 800 votes in the Republican primary. He and running mate Michael Patrick Carroll, a veteran assemblyman, won the general election easily in the heavily Republican 25th district.

Bucco has been a resident of Boonton Township, New Jersey. He and his wife Amy have six children.