Benjie Wimberly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjie Wimberly
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| Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 35th district |
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| Assumed office January 30, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Nellie Pou |
| Speaker pro tempore of the New Jersey General Assembly | |
| In office January 11, 2022 – January 16, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Gordon M. Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Annette Quijano |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 35th district |
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| In office January 10, 2012 – January 16, 2025 Serving with Shavonda E. Sumter
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| Succeeded by | Al Abdelaziz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 1, 1964 Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Kimberlynn |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Virginia State University (BA) |
Benjie E. Wimberly, born on December 1, 1964, is an American politician and teacher. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Since January 2025, he has been a Senator for New Jersey's 35th district. Before that, he served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2012 to 2025. Mr. Wimberly was also a successful head coach for a high school football team and works as the recreation director for Paterson.
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Education and Early Life
Benjie Wimberly graduated from Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne. He then attended Virginia State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology.
Football Coaching Career
Mr. Wimberly has a long history as a football coach. He started as an assistant coach at Eastside High School in Paterson from 1989 to 1994.
Head Coach at Paterson Catholic
From 1995 to 2010, Wimberly was the head coach for the football team at Paterson Catholic High School. In his last seven years there, his team had an amazing record of 70 wins and only 3 losses. During his 16 years as coach, Paterson Catholic won seven state championships. He also mentored famous players like Victor Cruz.
Coaching at Hackensack High School
In 2012, Wimberly became the head coach for the football team at Hackensack High School. He also serves as Paterson's Recreation Director, helping to organize sports and activities for the community.
Political Career
Benjie Wimberly began his career in elected office in 2010.
Paterson City Council
In 2010, he was elected to the Paterson city council. Many of his former students helped him with his campaign. He focused on getting young people to vote, similar to how Barack Obama campaigned in the 2008 presidential election.
New Jersey General Assembly
Wimberly won his election to the New Jersey General Assembly in 2011. He was reelected several times, serving in the Assembly until January 2025.
In 2020, he helped create a new law (Assembly Bill 4454). This law requires schools in New Jersey to teach about diversity and inclusion to students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Moving to the New Jersey Senate
In January 2025, Benjie Wimberly was elected to fill a vacant Senate seat. He won a special election against his former Assembly running mate, Shavonda E. Sumter, by just one vote. He will serve as a Senator until the winner of a special election in November is officially confirmed.
Legislative Committees
For the 2024-2025 Legislative Session, Benjie Wimberly is part of important committees:
- Budget (as vice-chair)
- Higher Education
- Housing
Representing District 35
New Jersey has 40 legislative districts. Each district has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. For the 2024-2025 Legislative Session, the representatives from the 35th District are:
- Senator Benjie Wimberly (Democrat)
- Assemblyman Al Abdelaziz (Democrat)
- Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter (Democrat)
Personal Life
Benjie Wimberly is married to Kimberlynn, and they have four children. His oldest son, Justin, played high school football for Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey.
