Caroline Casagrande

Casagrande and Angelini lost their 2015 bid for re-election in what was considered a surprisingly close race to Democratic challengers Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling.

Casagrande was born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Spring Lake. She graduated from Red Bank Catholic High School, in Red Bank, New Jersey, earned a B.S. degree from Pennsylvania State University with a major in Political Science. Casagrande was elected as Undergraduate Student Government president, where she worked to reduce the cost of student transportation around campus, improve student health care services, and protect students from dramatic tuition increases. She was awarded a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law–Camden.

Prior to being elected assemblywoman, Casagrande was a partner / attorney with the law firm of Menna, Supko & Casagrande in Shrewsbury, N.J. Casagrande has also served as municipal attorney to Manalapan Township and special counsel to Fair Haven. Between semesters at Rutgers School of Law–Camden, she clerked at the Prosecutor's Office in Monmouth County and at the New Jersey Attorney General's Office. While in college, Casagrande worked in the new democratic government of South Africa. In law school, she performed pro bono legal services for bankruptcy filers in Camden, N.J. After graduating from law school, she clerked for New Jersey Superior Court Judge Robert O'Hagan.

In 2011 Casagrande was redistricted to the 11th Legislative District and sought re-election there together with Senator Jennifer Beck, who was also shifted out of the 12th district, and Assembly member Mary Pat Angelini. They were the first trio of women to be elected as a team to the New Jersey Legislature.

Casagrande served as a Republican Commissioner on the New Jersey Redistricting Commission, which was charged with redrawing the lines of the State's congressional districts following the 2010 United States Census.

In 2007, Casagrande ran on the Republican ticket for New Jersey State Assemblywoman of the 12th district alongside Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon. She defeated an incumbent Assemblyman (Michael J. Panter), and became the youngest woman to ever be elected to the New Jersey General Assembly. Casagrande served in the Assembly on the Appropriations Committee and the Women and Children Committee.

Caroline Casagrande (born November 21, 1976) is an American Republican Party politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 11th Legislative District from January 10, 2012 to January 12, 2016. Prior to the 2011 legislative redistricting, she served in the Assembly from January 8, 2008 representing the 12th District. She is the youngest woman assembly member ever elected in New Jersey. She was defeated for re-election in 2015.