Biography
James Devine was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the last of four children of the former Josephine Loretta Allen and James J. Devine, a journalist and business development executive. Devine's father died on Christmas Day, 1965. He is remembered by his alma mater, St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth with the annual presentation of the "Spirit of St. Patrick's Award."
From 1981 to 1985, Devine attended Kean University, where he was a reporter and managing editor of The Independent, the student-run weekly campus newspaper; as well as an elected representative in the student government and member of the Student Organization Finance Board. He worked on a series of political campaigns throughout his time in college and while he served as chief of staff to then-Assemblyman William E. Flynn.
Devine was press secretary for Richard Kimball, the 1986 Democratic US Senate nominee in Arizona, and he served as political director for the New Jersey Democratic State Committee from 1992 thru 1993.
He married the former Dawn M. Petracca on June 18, 1988 and together, they had two sons, James Joseph Devine (b. March 22, 1992) and Thomas James Devine (b. December 16, 1996). They divorced after lengthy litigation in 2003.
In 1997, Devine purchased a group of publications that included New Jersey's oldest weekly newspaper, The News Record. He expanded the newspapers' circulation and relocated the place of publication to Elizabeth, the county seat, where the Daily Journal had gone out of business in 1992. During the mid-1980s, Devine worked as a Journal reporter, an occupation that employed his father for many years.
Devine is a progressive Democrat who opposed the invasion of Iraq in 2002, supports universal health insurance and advocates the expansion of free public education. Also a dedicated advocate of political reform, Devine has accused some politicians within his own party of robbing taxpayers and supporting corrupt practices. Devine supported Chris Christie for Governor in 2009, saying Jon Corzine's tenure was an utter failure.
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