Jon Cooper was born on February 1, 1955 and grew up on Long Island. He received a B.A. degree from Duke University in 1977, majoring in Political Science. Since 1978, Jon has run Spectronics Corporation, a manufacturing company that is one of the 100 largest employers on Long Island.

Jon and his spouse, Robert, settled in Huntington in 1983. They adopted five children, who now range in age from 25 to 16 years old (their twin girls are the youngest).

Jon has been active in his community for many years, serving on the board of numerous organizations involved in the areas of environmental protection, children and family services, historic preservation and the arts. He also volunteered as a coach for 12 seasons in the Cold Spring Harbor/Huntington Soccer League.

In November 1999, Jon was elected Legislator for the 18th Legislative District in Suffolk County, which encompasses the northern portions of Huntington Township.

Jon Cooper was the author of Suffolk's landmark legislation that banned the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. This was the first law of its type in the nation and served as the model for similar cell phone laws enacted in subsequent years by dozens of states across the U.S.

Jon has been a leader in the fight to preserve open space in Suffolk County. He authored bills to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and to promote the use of clean, renewable energy. Jon received the Long Island Sierra Club's Environmentalist of the Year Award in 2001, the first time this honor has been bestowed on an elected official.

Other legislation sponsored by Jon Cooper includes the "Safe Pets and Families" bill that protects domestic violence victims and their pets. He obtained funding for a marine research program to study the cause of the devastating lobster die-off in the Long Island Sound and introduced legislation to facilitate full public disclosure of election campaign finances.

Despite a massive lobbying effort by the powerful ephedra industry, Jon successfully fought for passage of his bill that prohibited the sale of the deadly dietary supplement ephedra. Once again, this was the first such law enacted in the nation and it ultimately led to the imposition of a nationwide ban by the federal government.

In 2006, Jon achieved passage of two groundbreaking bills that prevent sex offenders from living or loitering near places where children gather.

Jon was honored by the Long Island Press as one of the "50 Most Powerful Long Islanders," reflecting the dramatic impact that he has had on our community. In addition, Long Island Business News selected Jon as one of the "Ten Leaders Who Changed Long Island” in 2008.

In November 2010, Jon Cooper was re-elected for a sixth consecutive term as Majority Leader of the Suffolk County Legislature. Jon is the longest-serving majority leader in the history of Suffolk County.