Vincent Prieto

Vincent Prieto (born September 11, 1960) is an American Democratic Party politician. He served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004 to 2018, where he represented the 32nd Legislative District. He formerly served as the 170th Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly from 2014 to 2018. He was chair of the Hudson County Democratic Organization until 2018, when he was succeeded by Amy DeGise.

Vincent Prieto
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 32nd district
In office
December 13, 2004 – February 26, 2018
Preceded byAnthony Impreveduto
Succeeded byPedro Mejia
170th Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly
In office
January 14, 2014 – January 9, 2018
Preceded bySheila Oliver
Succeeded byCraig Coughlin
Personal details
Born (1960-09-11) September 11, 1960
Cuba
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMarlene Prieto
Children2
Residence(s)Secaucus, New Jersey
Alma materMiddlesex County College
Bergen Community College
WebsiteLegislative website

In February 2018, it was announced that Prieto would step down from the Assembly and succeed Wayne Hasenbalg as president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, The Sports and Exposition Authority operates the Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey."Vincent Prieto stepping down, will lead New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority", The Record (Bergen County), February 15, 2018. Accessed February 17, 2018. "Assemblyman Vincent Prieto, D–Secaucus, is stepping down from his Assembly seat to take a new job as president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority.... The NJSEA Board of Commissioners approved Prieto’s appointment, with an annual salary of $280,000, on Thursday morning. The move comes at the recommendation of Gov. Phil Murphy."</ref>

Biography

Prieto is a Cuban-American. In 1971, he and his mother took a Freedom Flight (air-lift resettlement program offering alien resident status to Cuban exiles) and moved to North Hudson County at a time when it was known as Havana on the Hudson.[1]

He attended Middlesex County College receiving a degree in construction code technology and Bergen Community College where he received a degree for fire code technology. Outside of his legislative and political duties, he is the construction code official for the Town of Secaucus.[2][3] He is a resident of Secaucus with his wife Marlene and two children.

Political career

Prieto served on the Secaucus Planning Board from 1998 to 2001.[2] He was selected by Hudson County Democratic Party leaders in December 2004 to fill the vacancy of Anthony Impreveduto, who resigned after pleading guilty to using campaign contributions for personal purposes.[4] In the heavily Democratic-leaning 32nd district, he has not faced significant opposition in any general election since being appointed.

He garnered the support of 41 of 48 colleagues and became the Assembly Speaker in November 2013 replacing Sheila Oliver.[5] He is the second Cuban-American to lead the Assembly after fellow Hudson County Democrat Albio Sires.[6][7]

Prieto serves as the Chairman of the Legislative Services Commission. Prieto served in the Assembly as the Deputy Majority Whip from 2006 to 2011. He previously served in the Assembly as chair on the Budget Committee, the Budget Oversight Committee, and the Regulated Professions Committee; he was also a member of the Appropriations Committee, the Transportation Committee, the Public Works Committee, and the Independent Authorities Committee.[2]

In 2013 the Hudson Reporter ranked him #7 in its list of Hudson County's 50 most influential people,[8] and #5 in 2015.[9] He replaced Bayonne mayor Mark Smith as the chairman of the Hudson County Democratic Organization in 2013.[10]

District 32

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 32nd District for the 2014-2015 Legislative Session are:

References
  1. Quigley, Joan (December 24, 2013). "From humble start, Prieto rises to set the Assembly agenda". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved 2013-12-24.
  2. Assemblyman Prieto's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed April 13, 2008.
  3. "Secaucus Construction Department". Town of Secaucus. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  4. Benson, Josh. "UP FRONT: WORTH NOTING; Prioritize, Prioritize", The New York Times, December 26, 2004. Accessed August 7, 2009.
  5. Freidman, Matt (October 22, 2013). "Prieto formalizes support to become speaker with signed letter". NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Retrieved 2013-12-24.
  6. Zeitlinger, Ron (November 8, 2013). "Vincent Prieto, New Jersey's new Assembly Speaker, is second Cuban-American in post". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  7. The Associated Press (December 25, 2014). "Prieto's moves in the Statehouse guided by lessons as boy in Cuba". NJ.com. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  8. Adriana Rambay Fernández, Stephen LaMarca, Gennarose Pope, Ray Smith, Al Sullivan and E. Assata Wright. "They've Got the Power". The Union City Reporter. January 8, 2012. Pages 1, 4-7 and 10-11.
  9. Sullivan, Al; Davis, Carlo; Schwartz, Art; Passantino, Joseph (January 18, 2015). The Union City Reporter, pp 1, 5, 9, 12
  10. Conte, Michaelangelo (June 13, 2013). "Assemblyman Vincent Prieto elected chair of Hudson Dems". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
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