Pallone, who graduated from high school in 1969 and headed to Middlebury College in Vermont, has long been known as one of the most liberal lawmakers in a liberal state, beloved by environmentalists and labor unions. He made his name pushing to protect New Jersey beaches and to clean polluted Superfund sites, helped write portions of the Affordable Care Act, and then played a visible role defending it from GOP repeal attempts. His campaign logo features an ocean wave curling inside the "O" in his name.