Cleopatra Tucker

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Cleopatra Tucker.jpg

| state_assembly = New Jersey

| district = 28th legislative

| term_start = January 8, 2008

| term_end =

| preceded = {{unbulleted list|Craig A. Stanley|Oadline Truitt}}

| succeeded =

| alongside = {{unbulleted list|Ralph R. Caputo (2008–2023)|Jackie Yustein (2023–2024)|Garnet Hall (2024–present)}}

| birth_name = Cleopatra Gibson

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|4|9|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse = {{marriage|Donald Kofi Tucker||2005|reason=died}}

| children = 2

| party = Democratic

| residence = Newark, New Jersey, U.S.

| alma_mater = Tennessee State University

| occupation = Non-profit director

| website = [https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/285/assemblywoman-tucker Assemblywoman Tucker's legislative webpage]

}}

Cleopatra Gibson Tucker (born April 9, 1943) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has represented the 28th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2008.

Biography

Tucker was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. She attended Tennessee State University, majoring in sociology. After moving to Newark, New Jersey, in 1966, she was hired by the Newark Housing Authority in 1976. She retired from the Authority in 2002. She is currently the executive director of a non-profit organization called The Centre, Inc. The Centre's headquarters was named after her late husband, Donald Kofi Tucker, in 2006.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110708115249/http://www.capitolconnect.com/gotv/voteagainsthunger/default.aspx?page=candetail&LegisID=TuckGCleoXXXXXXXX Biography via CapitolConnect.com]

Personal life

Tucker has two grown children with her late husband and is a resident of Newark's Weequahic neighborhood.{{cite web|url=http://www.assemblydems.com/memberbio.asp?RosterKey=285 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122225139/http://www.assemblydems.com/memberbio.asp?RosterKey=285 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 22, 2016 |title=Assemblywoman Cleopatra G. Tucker Bio Page |publisher=NJ Assembly Majority Office |accessdate=September 17, 2015 }}

Political career

After Donald Tucker, who was both a Newark councilman and an Assemblyman, died in October 2005 and posthumously won re-election to his Assembly seat, Assemblyman Tucker was replaced in a special election convention by Evelyn Williams, who was elected to serve the remaining month of the term and to serve the first year of the full term.{{cite news |url=http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2005/11/08/Dead-assemblyman-wins-re-election/88661131510646/ |title=Dead assemblyman wins re-election |date=November 8, 2005 |publisher=United Press International |accessdate=July 30, 2015}}{{cite news |url=http://politickernj.com/2005/11/donald-tuckers-replacement/ |title=Donald Tucker's replacement |publisher=Politicker NJ |date=November 15, 2005 |accessdate=July 30, 2015}} Williams resigned from the Assembly in January 2006 before the start of the new session, following her arrest for shoplifting, creating a vacant seat. A special election convention appointed Democratic Party activist Oadline Truitt to the seat for the first half of the term and she was re-elected in a November 2006 special election.{{cite news |title=School librarian takes Assembly seat |date=February 10, 2006 |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |author=Howlett, Deborah}} In Truitt's first bid for a full two-year term, Tucker and Essex County Freeholder and former Assemblyman from the 1960s-1970s Ralph R. Caputo defeated Truitt and incumbent Assemblyman Craig A. Stanley in the June 2007 Democratic primary. Tucker and Caputo had the backing of Newark Mayor Cory Booker.{{cite web |url=http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2007-primary-election-%28ga%29-official-results-7.20.07-rev.pdf |title=Official List Candidate Returns for General Assembly For June 2007 Primary Election |publisher=Secretary of State of New Jersey |page=28 |date=July 20, 2007 |accessdate=September 17, 2015}}{{cite book |page=199 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7fMTCgAAQBAJ&q=truitt+stanley+2007&pg=PA199 |title=The New Black Politician: Cory Booker, Newark, and Post-Racial America |author=Gillespie, Andra |publisher=New York University Press |year=2012 |isbn = 9780814732458|accessdate=July 30, 2015}} Tucker has subsequently won re-election to the Assembly every two years since then.

In January 2011, Tucker introduced a bill that would require every bicycle in the state of New Jersey to display a license plate, which would be registered with the government for a small fee.{{cite news |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/nj_assemblywoman_proposes_mand.html |title=N.J. lawmaker proposes mandatory license plates for bicycles |date=January 12, 2011 |author=Friedman, Matt |website=NJ Advance Media for NJ.com |accessdate=September 17, 2015}} Within about a week, she withdrew her proposal.{{cite news |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/nj_lawmaker_withdraws_proposed.html |title=N.J. lawmaker withdraws proposal to require license plates for bicycles |date=January 13, 2011 |author=Staff |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |accessdate=September 17, 2015}}

= Committees =

Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/285/assemblywoman-tucker Assemblywoman Cleopatra G. Tucker], New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 24, 2024.

Military and Veterans' Affairs (as chair)
Aging and Human Services (as vice-chair)

= District 28 =

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.[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/constitution New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II], New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022. The representatives from the 28th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster?district=28 Legislative Roster for District 28], New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 24, 2024.

Senator Renee Burgess (D)
Assemblyman Garnet Hall (D)
Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker (D)

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change

|title = 28th Legislative District General Election, 2023{{Cite web |url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2023/2023-official-general-results-general-assembly.pdf |title=Candidates for General Assembly - For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election |publisher=New Jersey Department of State |access-date=December 6, 2023}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| candidate = Cleopatra G. Tucker (incumbent)

| votes = 19,094

| percentage = 46.3

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| candidate = Garnet Hall

| votes = 18,637

| percentage = 45.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Joy Freeman

| votes = 1,902

| percentage = 4.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Willie S. Jetti

| votes = 1,600

| percentage = 3.9

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 41,233

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no change

| winner = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no change

| winner = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box begin no change

|title = 28th legislative district general election, 2021{{cite web |title=Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/02/2021 Election |url=https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2021/2021-official-general-results-general-assembly.pdf |publisher=Secretary of State of New Jersey |date=November 30, 2021 |access-date=December 12, 2021}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| candidate = Ralph R. Caputo (incumbent)

| votes = 32,797

| percentage = 39.24%

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| candidate = Cleopatra G. Tucker (incumbent)

| votes = 32,719

| percentage = 39.15%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Monique Headen

| votes = 9,063

| percentage = 10.84%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Anthony D'Angelo

| votes = 9,005

| percentage = 10.77%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 83,584

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no change

| winner = Democratic Party (United States)

| loser = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = 28th Legislative District General Election, 2019[https://nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2019/2019-official-general-results-general-assembly.pdf#page=32 Official List Candidates for General Assembly For 11/05/2019 Election], New Jersey Department of State, December 2, 2019. Accessed February 12, 2024.

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Ralph Caputo (incumbent)

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 16,234

| percentage = 41.5%

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Cleopatra Tucker (incumbent)

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 15,998

| percentage = 40.8%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Joy Bembry-Freeman

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 3,282

| percentage = 8.4%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Antonio Pires

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 3,025

| percentage = 7.7%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Derrick Ross

| party = Independent (politician)

| votes = 637

| percentage = 1.6%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 37,284

| percentage = 100%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing

| winner = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

References

External links

[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/285/assemblywoman-tucker Assemblywoman Tuckers' legislative webpage], New Jersey Legislature
[http://www.assemblydems.com/memberindex.asp?RosterKey=285 Assembly Majority Web site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100309021828/http://www.assemblydems.com/memberindex.asp?RosterKey=285 |date=March 9, 2010 }}
New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms - [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2007.pdf 2007] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606195205/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2007.pdf |date=June 6, 2011 }} [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2008.pdf 2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620231458/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2008.pdf |date=June 20, 2016 }} [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2009.pdf 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620231501/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2009.pdf |date=June 20, 2016 }} [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2010.pdf 2010] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620231510/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2010.pdf |date=June 20, 2016 }} [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2011.pdf 2011] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620231513/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2011.pdf |date=June 20, 2016 }} [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2012.pdf 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620231515/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2012.pdf |date=June 20, 2016 }} [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2013.pdf 2013] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620231517/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2013.pdf |date=June 20, 2016 }} [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2014.pdf 2014] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620231518/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2014.pdf |date=June 20, 2016 }} [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2015.pdf 2015] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620231520/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2015.pdf |date=June 20, 2016 }} [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2016.pdf 2016] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810012133/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/TuckerC2016.pdf |date=August 10, 2017 }}

{{succession box |before=Craig A. Stanley |before2=Oadline Truitt |title=Member of the New Jersey General Assembly for the 28th District |with=Ralph R. Caputo |years=January 8, 2008 – present |after=Incumbent}}

Category:1943 births

Category:Living people

Category:African-American state legislators in New Jersey

Category:Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly

Category:Tennessee State University alumni

Category:Politicians from Newark, New Jersey

Category:Politicians from Birmingham, Alabama

Category:Women state legislators in New Jersey

Category:21st-century American women politicians

Category:21st-century African-American women politicians

Category:20th-century African-American politicians

Category:20th-century African-American women politicians

Category:20th-century American women politicians

Category:21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature

Category:21st-century African-American politicians