Eric Houghtaling

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Eric_Houghtaling_1.jpg

| name = Eric Houghtaling

| office1 = Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 11th District

| term_start1 = January 12, 2016

| term_end1 = January 11, 2022

| alongside1 = Joann Downey

| predecessor1 = Mary Pat Angelini
Caroline Casagrande

| successor1 = Marilyn Piperno
Kimberly Eulner

| office2 = Deputy Majority Leader of the New Jersey General Assembly

| term_start2 = January 9, 2018

| term_end2 = January 11, 2022

| leader2 = Louis Greenwald

| predecessor2 = Angelica M. Jimenez{{Cite web|url=http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/leadership.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180329213256/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/leadership.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 March 2018|title=GENERAL ASSEMBLY|work=Wayback Machine|access-date=3 April 2019}}

| successor2 =

| office3 = Chair of the New Jersey General Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources

| term_start3 = January 14, 2019

| term_end3 = January 11, 2022

| predecessor3 = Bob Andrzejczak

| successor3 =

| party = Democratic

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1954|9|5}}

| birth_place = Neptune Township, New Jersey

| spouse = Linda Houghtaling

| residence = Neptune Township, New Jersey

| website = [https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/bio.asp?Leg=379 Legislative Website]

}}

Eric Houghtaling (born September 5, 1954) is an American Democratic politician who represented the 11th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2016 to 2022, which covers portions of Monmouth County. Prior to his election to the assembly, Houghtaling served as an elected official in Neptune Township, New Jersey.

Early life

Houghtaling was born in Neptune Township, New Jersey. He is currently a resident of Neptune.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ericandjoann.com/|title=Assembly Members Houghtaling & DowneyNeptune Township, New Jerseyaccess-date=2016-06-29}} Houghtaling works as an electrician and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.{{Cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/156481/eric-houghtaling#.Vth3S5wrK70|title=Asseman Eric Houghtaling|website=Project Vote Smart|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-29}} Houghtaling and his wife, Linda, have three children and seven grandchildren. Houghtaling served on the Neptune Township Council from 2011 to 2015, and later became Mayor of Neptune Township in 2013.{{Cite web|url=http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/bio.asp?Leg=379|title=Eric Houghtaling (D)|website=New Jersey Legislature|access-date=2016-06-29}}

New Jersey Assembly

Houghtaling was elected to the General Assembly alongside running mate Joann Downey in November 2015, defeating Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande.{{Cite web|url=http://oprs.co.monmouth.nj.us/oprs/electresults/2013/official/2013%20november%20general%20municipal.pdf#page=36|title=2015 New Jersey Monmouth County Election Results|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|page=36|access-date=2016-06-29}} Houghtaling and Downey's victory was considered to be an unexpected upset.{{Cite web|url=http://politickernj.com/2015/11/ld11-shocker-democratic-victory-in-monmouth-county/|title=LD11 Shocker: Democratic Victory in Monmouth County|date=2015-11-04|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-29}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/11/elections_2015_democrats_oust_republicans_in_assem.html|title=Elections 2015: Democrats oust Republicans in Assembly's 11th District|access-date=2016-06-29}} Houghtaling was sworn into office on January 12, 2016. Houghtaling has worked to increase public awareness of Pancreatic Cancer and introduced legislation, which was later signed into law, designating November as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in New Jersey. In July 2018 Houghtaling and fellow Assemblywoman Joann Downey accused fellow Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso of violating the Truth-In-Caller ID while sending out robocalls.{{Cite web|url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/ethics-panel-finds-probable-cause-to-investigate-dimaso/|title=Ethics panel finds probable cause to investigate DiMaso|work=New Jersey Globe|access-date=3 April 2019}}

In 2021, Houghtaling and Downey narrowly lost their reelection bids in an upset to Republican candidates Marilyn Piperno and Kim Eulner.{{cite web | url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/piperno-eulner-win-assembly-seats-in-monmouth-in-pickup-for-gop/ | title=Piperno, Eulner win Assembly seats in Monmouth in pickup for GOP | date=14 November 2021 }}

= Committees =

Agriculture and Natural Resources
Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations
Labor
Telecommunications and Utilities

Electoral history

= Assembly =

{{Election box begin

| title = New Jersey general election, 2017{{Cite web|url=https://nj.gov/state/elections/2017-results/2017-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf|title=2017-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf|work=New Jersey Secretary of State|access-date=3 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521090837/https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/2017-results/2017-official-general-election-results-general-assembly.pdf|archive-date=21 May 2019|url-status=dead}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

| candidate = Joann Downey

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 31,347

| percentage = 27.7

| change = {{increase}} 2.5

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

| candidate = Eric Houghtaling

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 31,012

| percentage = 27.4

| change = {{increase}} 1.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

| candidate = Robert Acerra

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 25,672

| percentage = 22.6

| change = {{decrease}} 2.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

| candidate = Michael Whelan

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 25,320

| percentage = 22.3

| change = {{decrease}} 2.1

}}

{{Election box total

| votes = 113,351

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box begin| title=New Jersey general election, 2015{{Cite web|url=https://nj.gov/state/elections/2015-results/2015-official-ge-results-nj-general-assembly.pdf|title=2015-official-ge-results-nj-general-assembly.pdf|work=New Jersey Secretary of State|access-date=3 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430032314/http://nj.gov/state/elections/2015-results/2015-official-ge-results-nj-general-assembly.pdf|archive-date=30 April 2017|url-status=dead}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Eric Houghtaling

|votes = 15,149

|percentage = 25.6

|change = {{increase}} 5.0

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Joann Downey

|votes = 14,906

|percentage = 25.2