Halgas Vies for Assembly Seat: 'I Want to Represent These People'

Chris Halgas has been a part of Burlington County’s landscape since he was a child. He's a known businessman, who remains optimistic about the region’s economy, but feels the state’s high taxes and strict regulations discourage some business owners.

As a vice president with RCH Cable in Moorestown that has thousands of employees on the payroll nationally, Halgas says he understands why some employers may be feeling frustrated with the Garden State.

“Commerce has gotten more international," said Halgas, sitting inside the Republican Headquarters in Mount Holly during a recent interview, "and it has become harder to conduct business here. If we lose more employers in the state, it will be even more difficult to get jobs for those out of work.”

On June 7, Halgas won the GOP primary election in the 7th  District by default, because no rising candidates rose up to challenge him.

Come November, Halgas will run on a ticket with state Sen. Diane Allen and Mount Laurel Mayor Jim Keenan, who has replaced retiring Assemblyman Joe Malone of Bordentown City on the slate. Halgas and Keenan will face off against incumbent Democratic Assemblyman Herbert Conaway of Delanco and Troy Singleton of Palmyra, former Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts' chief of staff.

The election is being touted as one of the more closely watched races in the Democratic-leaning district. It will be the first conducted under a new redistricting map, with Republicans vying to gain control of Assembly seats.

Halgas, who was raised in Edgewater Park, now lives in Moorestown with his wife, Rosemary, and their two little girls.

“South Jersey is a great place to raise a family,” said Halgas. “I love the area, and my family has always had roots here.”

Before earning his degree in business administration from Rider University, Halgas was an ambitious and diligent kid—always finding a way to generate revenue.

“I was mowing lawns at 10,” said Halgas, now 33.

Possessing an industrious spirit through the teen years, Halgas built a backyard lawn business into a landscaping company called Proscape, beginning with one truck and moving onto a fleet responsible for 15 area banks.

Halgas quickly established himself as a local businessman, eventually owning a florist in Cinnaminson and a barber shop in Riverside.

Growing up, Halgas probably learned about small business ownership from his dad. His father, Robert, created Café Madison in Riverside—formerly Bluebeard’s in the late 1980s—and elevated it to a swanky restaurant with a martini bar. The adjacent tavern was remodeled and remains a neighborhood favorite.

“My dad was committed to South Jersey,” Halgas said. “He wanted to make the restaurant a really nice place that people from the area could enjoy.”

The seeds of Halgas’ interest in politics were planted when he worked on Allen’s 1995 campaign during her first run for a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly.

“When you work on a campaign, you learn a lot,” Halgas said. “I thought maybe one day I might want to run for office."

And, a passion for the local business communities developed by the time Halgas was living in Cinnaminson, where he served on the Economic Development Advisory Committee. Back in 2005, the township was revitalizing a 15-acre swath of Route 130 for mixed-use business and housing improvements.

As part of the changes, ShopRite of Cinnaminson Plaza was developed, bringing an anchor store to a once crumbling and deteriorating lot. Halgas owned a building bordering the project.

“It was good for the community, and I had a personal interest in the project because I had a business [Classic Floral Design] running out of there,” said Halgas.

So, earlier this year when he was approached by several associates about running for the Assembly, his political interests were aroused again. He's been eager to launch a challenge.

To this point, Halgas said his years of experience in South Jersey as a small business owner and as an executive with a national company have come in handy, and  both have provided a savviness that will help him if elected to the Assembly.

“I know what it takes to be a good manager,” Halgas said, who describes himself as community-based and a hard worker. “I think I can offer that knowledge in the county.”

When not in the office at RCH Cable, Halgas spends time with his family.

“I’m an avid boater,” Halgas enthused over his time on the water. “It’s the one hobby I really enjoy.”

A couple of weeks ago, Halgas was out meeting new and old friends at Moorestown Day.

“As I was walking down Main Street,” Halgas said, “carrying my one daughter on my back and holding my other one’s hand, I thought, ‘I want to represent these people.’”