LeRoy J. Jones Jr. facts for kids

LeRoy J. Jones Jr. (born September 5, 1957) is an American politician. He served four terms in the New Jersey General Assembly, representing the 27th Legislative District. Currently, he leads the New Jersey Democratic Party. He also chairs the Democratic Party for both East Orange and Essex County, New Jersey.

Early Life and Education

LeRoy Jones studied at Seton Hall University, where he earned a degree in accounting. Later, he continued his education at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. There, he completed a master's degree in Business Management.

Career Highlights

Early Work Experience

Before his political career, LeRoy Jones worked as the City Administrator for East Orange, New Jersey. For seven years, he managed the city's budget, which was around $100 million. He also held several roles at Public Service Electric and Gas. These roles included Business Development Manager and Director of Workforce Diversity.

Today, Jones is a founding partner at 1868 Public Affairs. This company helps people and organizations work with the government. Their offices are located in Trenton, New Jersey.

Serving in Government

LeRoy Jones served on the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders. This was from 1988 to 1993. He then served four terms in the New Jersey General Assembly. He represented the 27th Legislative District from 1994 to 2000.

While in the Assembly, Jones was part of the Solid and Hazardous Waste Committee. He also served as Deputy Minority Leader from 1996 to 1998. He was first elected in 1993 alongside Nia Gill. They were re-elected three more times in 1995, 1997, and 1999.

Important Laws Proposed

In 1995, Jones suggested a law to ban selling box cutters to anyone under 18. Breaking this rule could lead to a large fine or jail time. In 1998, he proposed another law. This law would require children up to age 14 to wear ski helmets. It would also make ski resorts provide helmets for young skiers.

Working for Fairness

In 1998, LeRoy Jones and Senator Shirley Turner asked for a special group to look into unfair treatment. They wanted to review concerns about how people were stopped by police based on their race. Their request was not approved at first.

So, Jones and Senator Turner introduced a new plan. They wanted to create a special group to hold public meetings. This group would investigate concerns about unfair police practices. Jones believed it was important to challenge procedures that were wrong.

In 1999, Jones was part of the "New Jersey Legislative Black and Latino Caucus." This group worked to understand and address concerns about unfair practices. They held public meetings and set up a phone number for people to share their experiences. Many people called to report incidents. The Caucus then wrote a report about their findings.

Later Political Roles

After changes to district maps in 2000, both Nia Gill and Jones were in the 34th Legislative District. In 2001, Jones ran for Mayor of East Orange but was not successful.

LeRoy Jones is the Democratic Chairman for both East Orange and Essex County. He was elected East Orange Democratic Municipal Committee Chairman in 2002 and still holds that position. In 2013, he became the Essex County Democratic Chairman.

In 2012, New Jersey Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver appointed Jones as a Commissioner. This role was for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.

In June 2021, Jones was chosen to lead the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. He was re-elected for a full two-year term in January 2022.

Personal Life

LeRoy Jones lives in East Orange with his wife, Jacqueline, and their children.