Madden served as acting superintendent of the New Jersey State Police in 2002, after rising through the ranks from trooper to lieutenant colonel. After he retired from the State Police force in 2002, he worked as the chief of investigations in the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.
Madden received training at the FBI Academy and the United States Secret Service Dignitary Protection School. Under Madden's command, the New Jersey State Police established its Internet sex offender registry, a computer crimes initiative to combat identity theft and Internet crimes against children, and he served as a member of New Jersey's State Domestic Preparedness Task Force to address issues of homeland security and counter-terrorism.
The Washington Township (Gloucester County) native was recruited to run for the Senate in the high-profile 4th Legislative District against incumbent Republican Senator George Geist in 2004. At the time, the campaign between Madden and Geist was the most expensive in New Jersey State Senate history reaching over $4.2 million, breaking the previous record spending of $1.8 million. After a recount, Madden held on to win with a 63-vote margin.[4]
Senator Madden was instrumental in passing the One-Gun-Month Bill, S1774. Madden, who previously voted "no" and committed to hold firm in that position in support of the constitutional right to keep and bear arms, switched his vote at the last minute and voted "yes" to limit firearms sales to one per month.
Committee assignments
In the current session, committee assignments are:[1]
Labor (as Chair)
Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens (as Vice-Chair)
Judiciary
District 4
Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The representatives from the 4th District for the 2022—2023 Legislative Session are:[5]
^Livio, Susan K.; and Johnson, Brent. "Longtime N.J. state senator and retired State Police leader won’t seek re-election", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 13, 2023. Accessed March 13, 2023. "After 20 years in the New Jersey Legislature, state Sen. Fred Madden, a retired lieutenant colonel with State Police, will not seek re-election this year. The South Jersey Democrat and chairman of the Senate Labor Committee is the seventh state senator — and 16th state lawmaker overall — who will not seek another term in the fall."
^Mansnerus, Laura. "In Recount, Madden Defeats Geist in Senate Race", The New York Times, November 19, 2003. Accessed March 14, 2008. "The race was notable for the $4.2 million that Mr. Madden and his two Assembly running mates raised -- more than $200 for each vote they received. The previous spending record for a single legislative candidate was $1.8 million."
