Colin Bell

Colin Geoffrey Bell (born April 20, 1981) is an American Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey Senate, representing the 2nd Legislative District, from October 5, 2017, to January 9, 2018. Bell was selected to fill the seat of fellow Democrat Jim Whelan following Whelan's death; Bell subsequently lost his 2017 general election bid to Republican Chris A. Brown. Prior to his tenure in the New Jersey Senate, Bell was an Atlantic County Freeholder from 2013 to 2015. Education and legal career Bell grew up in Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey and graduated from Oakcrest High School. He earned a B.A. in political science at American University and was awarded a J.D. from Washington College of Law. From 2006 to 2008, Bell was an Assistant Atlantic County Prosecutor. He works as an attorney dealing with construction-related litigation. Political career Atlantic County Freeholder Bell ran for one of two at-large seats on the Atlantic County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 2011 and came in fourth, behind Republicans John Risley and Alex Marino, as well as incumbent Democrat Jim Schroeder, who lost his seat on the board. He ran again in 2012 and won the one open at-large seat on the board, where he served a single three-year term of office. Bell knocked off two-term incumbent Republican Frank Giordano by a 52,632 to 48,828 margin to become the board's second Democrat. On the freeholder board, Bell supported programs to increase openness and fiscal responsibility, help the area recover from Hurricane Sandy and to assist veterans find homes and jobs.