A GW alumnus helped a gay marriage bill past a New Jersey Senate panel Monday night.

Sen. Bill Baroni, Jr. voted in favor of the bill, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee 7-6. He was the only Republican of the five on the panel to vote in favor of the measure.

The two of the eight Democrats on the committee opposed the bill and their votes could have killed the legislation if Baroni had not voted in favor of it.

Baroni has a bachelor’s degree in history from GW and graduated magna cum laude with special honors. He attended law school at the University of Virginia.

Currently Baroni represents New Jersey’s 14th Legislative District, located in central New Jersey.

According to a CQPoltics.com blog, Baroni declared Monday to a standing ovation that he “will be the first ever New Jersey legislator in this state on the question of marriage equality to say the following: I vote yes.”

Now the bill heads to the New Jersey Senate floor Thursday.