Cleopatra Tucker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cleopatra Tucker
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| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 28th legislative district |
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| Assumed office January 8, 2008 Serving with
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Cleopatra Gibson
April 9, 1943 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Tennessee State University |
| Occupation | Non-profit director |
| Website | Assemblywoman Tucker's legislative webpage |
Cleopatra Gibson Tucker was born on April 9, 1943. She is an American politician from the Democratic Party. She has been a representative for the 28th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2008.
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About Cleopatra Tucker
Cleopatra Tucker grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. She went to Tennessee State University and studied sociology. In 1966, she moved to Newark, New Jersey.
Her Career and Family Life
In 1976, she started working for the Newark Housing Authority. She retired from there in 2002. Today, she is the leader of a non-profit group called The Centre, Inc. A non-profit organization helps people and communities without trying to make money. The Centre's main building is named after her late husband, Donald Kofi Tucker. He passed away in 2005.
Cleopatra Tucker lives in the Weequahic neighborhood of Newark. She has two grown children with her late husband.
Her Journey in Politics
Cleopatra Tucker became involved in politics after her husband, Donald Tucker, passed away. He was a councilman in Newark and also an Assemblyman.
Becoming an Assemblywoman
After her husband's passing, a special election was held. Evelyn Williams was chosen to fill the seat for a short time. She later resigned from the Assembly in January 2006.
Then, another special election chose Oadline Truitt for the seat. In 2007, Cleopatra Tucker decided to run for the Assembly. She ran with Ralph R. Caputo, who was also a former Assemblyman. They won the Democratic primary election against Oadline Truitt and Craig A. Stanley.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker supported Tucker and Caputo. Since then, Cleopatra Tucker has been re-elected to the Assembly every two years.
Working on New Laws
In January 2011, Assemblywoman Tucker suggested a new law. This law would have required all bicycles in New Jersey to have a license plate. Cyclists would have paid a small fee to register their bikes. However, she withdrew this idea about a week later.
Her Committee Roles
Cleopatra Tucker works on important committees in the New Jersey Legislature. For the 2024—2025 Legislative Session, her roles are:
- Military and Veterans' Affairs (as the chair, meaning she leads this committee)
- Aging and Human Services (as the vice-chair, meaning she is the second-in-command)
Representing District 28
The New Jersey Legislature has 40 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 for the 28th District are:
- Senator Renee Burgess (Democrat)
- Assemblyman Garnet Hall (Democrat)
- Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker (Democrat)
