Peter J. Barnes III
[1] Barnes was born in San Francisco, California, but grew up primarily in Edison, New Jersey.[7] On November 5, 2013, he was elected to the State Senate, succeeding Barbara Buono who was running for Governor.In one of the closest Senate races in the state, Barnes defeated Democrat-turned-Republican East Brunswick mayor David Stahl by a 4% margin.[9] Barnes died from cancer at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick on February 22, 2021, at age 64.[2][5] On August 10, 2021, the Dismal Swamp, located in Middlesex County, New Jersey, was renamed as the Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preserve.