Teresa Ruiz (politician)

Teresa Ruiz
Teresa Ruiz
Majority Leader of the New Jersey Senate
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; January 11, 2022
Deputy	Paul Sarlo
Preceded by	Loretta Weinberg
President pro tempore of the New Jersey Senate
	In office; January 9, 2018 – January 11, 2022
Preceded by	Nia Gill
Succeeded by	Sandra Bolden Cunningham
Member of the New Jersey Senate; from the 29th district
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; January 8, 2008
Preceded by	Sharpe James
Personal details
Born	Maria Teresa Ruiz; June 28, 1974 (age 50); Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Drew University (BA)
Website	State Senate website

Maria Teresa Ruiz (born June 28, 1974) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has represented the 29th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate since taking office on January 8, 2008. She has served as the Senate Majority Leader since 2022, becoming the first Latina to lead either the Assembly or Senate, after succeeding Loretta Weinberg upon her retirement from the Senate.^[1]

Education

Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Ruiz graduated from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School.^[2]

In 1998, Ruiz received a B.A. from Drew University in English.^[3]

New Jersey Senate

With Sharpe James not running for re-election to the Senate seat in the 29th District, Ruiz won the support of Cory Booker and James' son.^[4] Ruiz won the June 2007 Democratic primary, running unopposed.^[5] In the November 2007 general election, Ruiz and her Assembly running mates Alberto Coutinho and L. Grace Spencer won the three seats from the district. Ruiz won with 57.8% of the vote, defeating five other candidates, including Democrats-running-as independents Luis Quintana (with 15.9%) in second place and William D. Payne (with 15.7%) who came in third.^[6]^[7]

Ruiz took office in the Senate in January 2008.

Committees

Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:^[3]

Legislative Oversight (as vice-chair)
Budget and Appropriations

District 29

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.^[8] The representatives from the 29th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:^[9]

Senator Teresa Ruiz (D)
Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin (D)
Assemblywoman Shanique Speight (D)

Election history

29th Legislative District General Election, 2023^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	M. Teresa Ruiz (incumbent)	7,766	83.5
	Republican	Maritza Mathews	1,351	14.5
	Labour	Pablo Olivera	181	1.9
Total votes			9,298	100.0
	Democratic hold

2021 New Jersey general election^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Teresa Ruiz	20,706	100.0	12.7
Total votes			20,706	100.0

New Jersey general election, 2017^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Teresa Ruiz	20,506	87.3	9.0
	Republican	Maria E. Lopez	2,547	10.8	6.9
	One Nation	Pablo Olivera	449	1.9	2.0
Total votes			23,502	100.0

New Jersey general election, 2013^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Teresa Ruiz	16,078	78.3	3.9
	Republican	Raafat Barsoom	3,636	17.7	3.2
	Unity Is Strength	Pablo Olivera	808	3.9	N/A
Total votes			20,522	100.0

2011 New Jersey general election^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Teresa Ruiz	9,076	82.2
	Republican	Aracelis Sanabria Tejada	1,598	14.5
	Independent	Laurie J. Taylor	363	3.3
Total votes			11,037	100.0

2007 New Jersey general election^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Teresa Ruiz	10,816	57.2	25.5
	"The People's Choice"	Luis A. Quintana	3,687	19.5	N/A
	Independent-Experienced-Unbossed	William D. Payne	3,653	19.3	N/A
	Republican	Al-Samar Douglas	547	2.9	N/A
	Pro Life Conservative	Dick Hester	123	0.7	N/A
	Socialist Workers	Sara J. Lobman	96	0.5	4.4
Total votes			18,922	100.0

References

^ Johnson, Brent. "Essex County lawmaker set to make history by succeeding Weinberg as Democratic N.J. Senate leader", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 28, 2021. Accessed March 17, 2022. "State Sen. Teresa Ruiz is the choice of top Democrats to take over for retiring Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg when the next legislative session begins in January, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney announced Thursday. That will maker her the first Latina to serve in a top leadership post in either house of the New Jersey Legislature."
^ "Newark Lifetimes: Jose Linares & Teresa Ruiz", Newark Pulse, September 7, 2016. Accessed March 17, 2022. "New Jersey State Senator Teresa Ruiz was born in Newark, and attended Our Lady of Good Counsel High School before earning her B.A. in English at Drew University."
^ ^a ^b Senator M. Teresa Ruiz, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 24, 2024.
^ "Sharpe James’ son backs Ruiz for Senate", The New York Observer, March 27, 2007. Accessed March 17, 2022. "A clear sign that Sharpe James has no intention of seeking re-election to a fourth term in the State Senate this year: his son, John Sharpe James, today endorsed Teresa Ruiz for the 29th district Senate seat. Ruiz, who has the backing of James' rival, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, faces Assemblyman William Payne in the June Democratic primary."
^ Chen, David W. "Voters Send Mixed Signals to Democratic Organization in New Jersey Primaries", The New York Times, June 6, 2007. Accessed March 17, 2022. "One candidate supported by Mr. Booker, M. Teresa Ruiz, ran unopposed in capturing the State Senate nomination for the 29th District. But she will face a stiff challenge in the fall from Assemblyman William D. Payne. He is a member of a powerful family of elected officials whose power runs from Washington to the streets of the Central Ward, and he is running as an independent."
^ Jacobs, Andrew. "Three Win, With Big Muscle", The New York Times, November 11, 2007. Accessed March 17, 2022. "After the votes were counted on election night, three up-and-comers stood triumphantly on the stage of a gaudy wedding hall here celebrating their victory in state legislative races in the 29th District, which includes most of Newark and the neighboring Township of Hillside.... 'We are making history tonight,' said Ms. Ruiz, who won a six-way race with 57 percent of the vote.... The losers were two stalwarts on Newark’s political landscape: Assemblyman William D. Payne, the brother of United States Representative Donald M. Payne, and Luis Quintana, a Newark City Council member who was once a sure vote-getter among the growing Hispanic electorate."
^ ^a ^b "Official List, Candidate Returns for State Senate for November 2007 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
^ New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022.
^ Legislative Roster for District 29, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 24, 2024.
^ "Official List, Candidates for State Senate for GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
^ "Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/02/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
^ "Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2017 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
^ "Official List, Candidates for State Senate for GENERAL ELECTION 11/05/2013 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
^ "Official List, Candidate Returns for State Senate for November 2011 General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2016.

External links

Senator Ruiz's Legislative Website, New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
- 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

New Jersey Senate
Preceded by Sharpe James	Member of the New Jersey Senate for the 29th district 2008–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Nia Gill	President pro tempore of the New Jersey Senate 2018–2022	Succeeded by Sandra Bolden Cunningham
Preceded by Loretta Weinberg	Majority Leader of the New Jersey Senate 2022–present	Incumbent