He served in the United States Navy aboard the USS Dayton during World War II.
[3] He also served as chairman of the New Jersey Parks and Recreation Legislative Committee, and as a member of the Hamilton Board of Health.
[4] He made his first bid for elected office in 1967, running in the newly drawn two-member Mercer County Assembly district,[3] but he and his running mate Lloyd Carver were defeated by the Republican candidates, Pennington councilman William Schluter and West Windsor mayor John Selecky.
Senator Sido Ridolfi retired and Assemblyman Joseph Merlino ran to succeed him, leaving an Assembly seat open.
McManimon won the open seat as the top vote-getter, 4,629 votes ahead of his running mate, Assemblyman S. Howard Woodson.
[4] In 1991, McManimon was defeated for re-election to a fourth term by Mercer County Freeholder Peter Inverso.
[4] After leaving office, McManimon was appointed by Florio to a new commission to redesign New Jersey’s license plates.
He was quick with a smile, an effective legislator, and never forgot the importance of mentoring those who would carry on the work of public service.