In 2008, McGuckin launched a bid to run for Toms River Township council. He suspended his political campaign after it was reported that he had more than $120,000 in federal leins placed against him by the IRS for failure to pay taxes.
New Jersey Assembly
In 2011, incumbent Assemblyman James W. Holzapfel ran for the New Jersey Senate seat of the retiring Andrew R. Ciesla.[6] McGuckin took this opportunity to run for the open Assembly seat. He and his running mate David W. Wolfe defeated the Democratic candidates Bette Wary and Eli Eytan,[7] and he was sworn in on January 10, 2012.[3]
In 2020, McGuckin was appointed the Director of Public Law for the Township of Toms River. Toms River Councilman Daniel Rodrick filed a lawsuit against McGuckin claiming he was illegally hired for the job. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice by the Assignment Judge of the New Jersey Superior Court's Ocean County division due to Rodrick's complaint having no merit.[10]
Electoral history
Assembly
10th Legislative District General Election, 2023[11]
^The Auditor. "Crosbie's immunity may have worn off", The Star-Ledger, January 30, 2011. Accessed August 22, 2011. "Sen. Andrew Ciesla is ending his two-decade run in Trenton, telling The Auditor he’ll call it quits after this year ... He will not run for re-election in November. “It’s been a great run and we’ve accomplished an awful lot. Two decades just seemed to me the amount of time to dedicate to public service and it’s time to pass the torch,” Ciesla said. Ciesla said he never intended to spend more than 10 years in the Legislature. In fact, he sponsored a resolution in 1993 to enact 10-year term limits. It never got anywhere. Ciesla said he expects Assemblymen David Wolfe (R-Ocean) and Jim Holzapfel (R-Ocean) to vie for his seat."