# Nilsa Cruz-Perez

Nilsa Cruz-Perez (born January 21, 1961) is an American politician who was sworn into office to represent the 5th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate on December 15, 2014, to fill the vacant seat of Donald Norcross. She had previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1995 to 2010 and is the first Latina woman to serve in the Assembly.

## Early life

Cruz-Perez born on January 21, 1961, in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. She was a member of the Popular Democratic Party during her youth. Attended the University of Puerto Rico earning a degree in political science, Big Bend Community College Army Quartermaster School and the Temple University Overseas Division. Cruz-Perez served in the United States Army from 1981 to 1987, she was stationed in Mainz, Germany and attained the rank of sergeant. Cruz-Perez works as a part-time community development specialist for the Camden County Improvement Authority. Formerly a resident of Camden, she now resides in Barrington.

## Career
### New Jersey Assembly

Cruz-Perez was selected in February 1995 to fill the vacancy created by resignation of Assemblyman Wayne R. Bryant, when Bryant was selected to fill the Senate seat vacated due to the death of Senator Walter Rand on January 6, 1995. She was sworn into the Assembly on February 27. Serving in the Assembly until 2010, representing the 5th District for the entire time she was serving, she was the Assistant Majority Leader from 2002 to 2005 and Deputy Majority Leader from January 2008 to January 2010. In 2009 she announced that she would retire after her current term in the legislature.
Cruz-Perez was the primary sponsor of Bill S2599 which seeks to change the legal term of "illegal alien" to "undocumented foreign national."

### New Jersey Senate

Following the election and swearing in of State Senator Donald Norcross to the United States House of Representatives in 2014, the Democratic committees of Camden and Gloucester counties (the two counties within the 5th district) appointed Cruz-Perez to the vacant Senate seat. She will serve until a special election in 2015 in which she is running. While in the Senate, she is serving on the Economic Growth, (vice-chair), Military and Veterans' Affairs, and Transportation committees and Joint Committee on the Public Schools. In addition to her legislative duties, she is also a vice-chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee (since 2015) and a member of the Rutgers University–Camden Board of Directors (since 2014). Between her legislative stints, she was the Democratic Vice-chair of the 2011 New Jersey Apportionment Commission, the committee delegated to redraw the state legislative districts following the 2010 census.

#### Committees

Committee assignments for the current session are:
* Economic Growth (as chair)
* Military and Veterans' Affairs (as vice-chair)
* Budget and Appropriations

#### District 5

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. The representatives from the 5th District for the 2024–2025 Legislative Session are:
* Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D)
* Assemblyman Bill Moen (D) , and
* Assemblyman William Spearman (D)

## Electoral history
### New Jersey Senate

5th Legislative District General Election, 2023 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (incumbent) | 25,799 | 68.7 |
| | Republican | Clyde E. Cook | 11,245 | 29.9 |
| | Rights Tranquility Peace | Mohammad Kabir | 530 | 1.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 37,574 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
5th Legislative District general election, 2021 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (incumbent) | 31,246 | 57.70 |
| | Republican | Clyde Cook | 22,903 | 42.30 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 54,149 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2017 New Jersey Senate election for the 5th Legislative District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (Incumbent) | 29,031 | 66.1 | 33.9 |
| | Republican | Keith Walker | 14,463 | 32.9 | N/A |
| | Challenge Promise Fix | Mohammad Kabir | 454 | 1.0 | N/A |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | '43,948' | '100.0' | |
2015 Special New Jersey Senate election for the 5th Legislative District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (Incumbent) | 19,150 | 100.0 | 42.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | '19,150' | '100.0' | |

### New Jersey Assembly

2007 New Jersey General Assembly election for the 5th Legislative District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Joe Roberts (Incumbent) | 17,554 | 32.2 | 13.2 |
| | Democratic | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (Incumbent) | 15,978 | 29.3 | 13.2 |
| | Republican | Edward Torres | 9,136 | 16.8 | N/A |
| | Republican | Jonathan Mangel | 9,070 | 16.6 | N/A |
| | Green | Richard L. Giovanoni | 1,419 | 2.6 | 2.5 |
| | Green | Mark Heacock | 1,381 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | '54,538' | '100.0' | |
2005 New Jersey General Assembly election for the 5th Legislative District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Joe Roberts (Incumbent) | 29,893 | 45.4 | 12.9 |
| | Democratic | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (Incumbent) | 27,955 | 42.5 | 12.0 |
| | Green | Richard L. Giovanoni | 3,429 | 5.2 | N/A |
| | Green | Mark Heacock | 3,386 | 5.1 | N/A |
| | Libertarian | Kevin Ferrizzi | 1,131 | 1.7 | N/A |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | '65,794' | '100.0' | |
2003 New Jersey General Assembly election for the 5th Legislative District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Joe Roberts (Incumbent) | 21,608 | 32.5 | 10.5 |
| | Democratic | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (Incumbent) | 20,260 | 30.5 | 9.6 |
| | Republican | Jeffrey R. Kugler | 12,467 | 18.7 | 1.8 |
| | Republican | Eddie Torres | 12,165 | 18.3 | N/A |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | '66,500' | '100.0' | |
2001 New Jersey General Assembly election for the 5th Legislative District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Joe Roberts (Incumbent) | 32,224 | 43.0 |
| | Democratic | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (Incumbent) | 30,087 | 40.1 |
| | Republican | Ella Hilton | 12,659 | 16.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 74,970 | 100.0 |
1999 New Jersey General Assembly election for the 5th Legislative District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Joe Roberts (Incumbent) | 18,429 | 43.6 | 0.1 |
| | Democratic | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (Incumbent) | 16,398 | 38.8 | 0.6 |
| | Republican | William E. Spencer | 7,438 | 17.6 | 1.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | '42,265' | '100.0' | |
1997 New Jersey General Assembly election for the 5th Legislative District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Joe Roberts (Incumbent) | 31,898 | 43.5 | 9.3 |
| | Democratic | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (Incumbent) | 28,918 | 39.4 | 7.9 |
| | Republican | Joe Smiriglio | 11,744 | 16.0 | 1.6 |
| | Republican | No nomination made | 777 | 1.1 | 15.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | '73,337' | '100.0' | |
1995 New Jersey General Assembly election for the 5th Legislative District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Joe Roberts (Incumbent) | 20,618 | 34.2 | 0.5 |
| | Democratic | Nilsa Cruz-Perez (Incumbent) | 19,006 | 31.5 | 3.4 |
| | Republican | David Brodecki | 10,635 | 17.6 | 2.1 |
| | Republican | Jose Delgado | 10,000 | 16.6 | 1.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | '60,259' | '100.0' | |