| Dick Zimmer | |
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| In office January 3 1991 – January 3 1997 |
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| Preceded by | James A. Courter |
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| Succeeded by | Mike Pappas |
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| Born | August 16 1944  Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Religion | Jewish[1] |
Richard A. "Dick" Zimmer is an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey, who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and in the United States House of Representatives. Zimmer was born on August 16, 1944 in Newark, New Jersey and earned an undergraduate degree at Yale University in 1966. Following this he graduated from Yale Law School in 1969 and worked as an attorney in New York and New Jersey for several years. He served in the New Jersey General Assembly in 1982–87 and the New Jersey Senate from 1987 to 1991. In 1990, Zimmer was elected to the U.S. Congress from New Jersey's 12th congressional district and served three terms. As a Congressman, Zimmer is best known for writing Megan's Law (U.S. Public Law 104-145), which requires notification when a convicted sex offender moves into a residential area. It was named after Megan Kanka, a New Jersey resident who was raped and murdered by convicted sex offender Jesse Timmendequas. In 1992, the National Taxpayers Union rated Zimmer the most fiscally conservative member of the United States Congress. In 1996, Zimmer gave up his safe house seat to run for the United States Senate. He defeated Passaic County Freeholder Richard DuHaime and State Senator Dick LaRossa in the Republican primary. After a campaign that focused heavily on Zimmer's authorship of the federal version of Megan's Law, Zimmer lost to Democratic Party candidate Robert Torricelli. In 2000, Zimmer ran against Rush D. Holt, Jr. for the New Jersey 12th District seat in the House of Representatives and lost by 651 votes. Zimmer is now Of counsel in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP
References
External links
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Biographical information for Dick Zimmer from The Political Graveyard
| Preceded by James A. Courter |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 12th congressional district 1991–1997 |
Succeeded by Michael J. Pappas |
