H. James Saxton (born January 22, 1943), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1984, representing the Third Congressional District of New Jersey since 1993 (map), after the district replaced the Thirteenth District due to reapportionment. Born in Nicholson, Pennsylvania, he attended East Stroudsburg State College (now East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania) and Temple University, then pursued a career as an elementary public school teacher and small business owner. Saxton served in the New Jersey General Assembly (the lower chamber of the New Jersey Legislature) from 1976 to 1981 and in the State Senate from 1982 to 1984, when he was elected to the House to fill a vacancy caused by the death of 13th District Congressman Edwin B. Forsythe. He is a high ranking member of the Armed Services Committee and the Resources Committee and Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee made up of U.S. Senators and U.S. House members. Due to
In the US House election, 2006, Saxton is being challenged by Democrat Richard Sexton, a trial lawyer from the Mount Laurel area.
On May 26, 2006, Saxton was the source of a report of loud gunfire-type noise in the Rayburn House Office Building that led to the building being shut down for several hours, after he heard what was later determined to be a construction worker discharging a pneumatic hammer in an elevator shaft near the garage. Saxton asked a member of his staff to report the noise to Capitol Police to investigate the source. Capitol police officers who subsequently asked the workers to recreate the noise agreed it sounded like gunfire.
