Frank Pallone, Jr. (born October 30, 1951) is the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 6th congressional district, serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously represented the 3rd district from 1988 to 1993.

Pallone is a graduate of Middlebury College, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and Rutgers School of Law-Camden. Prior to being elected to the House, Pallone was a member of the Long Branch city council from 1982 to 1988.

He was a member of the New Jersey Senate (the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature), from the 11th district, from 1984 to 1988. In 1983, he defeated incumbent Republican State Senator Brian T. Kennedy 50%-49%. In 1987, he won re-election with 60% of the vote, defeating Councilwoman Gerri C. Popkin of Neptune City.

In March 1988, incumbent U.S. Congressman James Howard (D-Spring Lake Heights) of New Jersey's 3rd congressional district died. In November, Pallone defeated Republican State Representative Joe Azzolina 52%-47%. In 1990, he won re-election with 49% of the vote.

Christopher James "Chris" Christie (born September 6, 1962) is the 55th and current Governor of New Jersey. Upon his election to the governorship in November 2009, Christie became the first Republican to win a statewide election in New Jersey in 12 years. Christie, an attorney, previously served as United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey and as a Morris County, New Jersey Freeholder. In 2011, he considered entering the race for the Republican Presidential nomination but ultimately decided not to run.

Chris Christie was born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Sondra A. (née Grasso) and Wilbur James "Bill" Christie, a certified public accountant. Christie is of Scottish, Irish, and Sicilian descent. He was raised in Livingston, graduating from Livingston High School. Christie graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1984 and Seton Hall University School of Law with a Juris Doctor in 1987. Christie was admitted to the Bar of the State of New Jersey and the Bar of the United States District Court, District of New Jersey, in December 1987. After being elected the Governor of New Jersey, he was awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Rutgers University, the state university of New Jersey, and Monmouth University in 2010.

Marsha Wedgeworth Blackburn (born June 6, 1952) is the U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 7th congressional district, serving since 2003. She is a member of the Republican Party. The district stretches from the suburbs of Nashville to the suburbs of Memphis.

Born Marsha Wedgeworth in Laurel, Mississippi, Blackburn attended Northeast Jones High School and graduated from Mississippi State University where she joined Chi Omega, and where she also spent a few summers working with the Southwestern Company. She owned and operated a marketing company in Williamson County Tennessee.

Blackburn began her political career in 1977 as a founding member of the Williamson County Young Republicans. She served as chairwoman of the Williamson County Republican Party from 1989 to 1991. Her elective political career began in 1992, when she won the Republican nomination for the 6th District, which at the time included her home in Brentwood. She lost by 16 percentage points to longtime congressman Bart Gordon. In 1995, she was appointed chairwoman of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment & Music Commission. She won elective office for the first time in 1998, when she was elected to the Tennessee State Senate, representing Williamson County and a sliver of Davidson County. She led efforts to prevent the passage of a state income tax championed by Governor Don Sundquist.