Nilsa Cruz-Perez (born January 21, 1961) is an American Democratic Party politician who was sworn into office to represent the 5th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate on December 15, 2014, to fill the vacant seat of Donald Norcross. She had previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1995 to 2010 and is the first Latina woman to serve in the Assembly.

Quick Facts Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 5th district, Preceded by ...

Nilsa Cruz-Perez
Member of the New Jersey Senate from the 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office December 15, 2014
Preceded by	Donald Norcross
Chairman of the New Jersey Senate Economic Growth Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 9, 2018[1]
Preceded by	Raymond Lesniak
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 5th district
In office February 27, 1995 – January 12, 2010
Preceded by	Wayne Bryant
Succeeded by	Angel Fuentes Donald Norcross
Deputy Majority Leader of the New Jersey General Assembly
In office January 8, 2008 – January 12, 2010
Leader	Bonnie Watson Coleman
Preceded by	Position Established
Succeeded by	Position Abolished
Personal details
Born	(1961-01-21) January 21, 1961 (age 63) Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Political party	Democratic
Residence(s)	Barrington, New Jersey
Alma mater	University of Puerto Rico (BA) University of Maryland
Occupation	Director of Constituent Services, Camden County
Website	Legislative web page Senate Democrats Website
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1981-1987
Rank	Sergeant

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Cruz-Perez born on January 21, 1961, in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. She attended the University of Puerto Rico earning a degree in political science, Big Bend Community College Army Quartermaster School and the Temple University Overseas Division.^[2] Cruz-Perez served in the United States Army from 1981 to 1987, attaining the rank of sergeant. Cruz-Perez works as a part-time community development specialist for the Camden County Improvement Authority.^[2] Formerly a resident of Camden, she now resides in Barrington.^[3]

Cruz-Perez was selected in February 1995 to fill the vacancy created by resignation of Assemblyman Wayne R. Bryant, when Bryant was selected to fill the Senate seat vacated due to the death of Senator Walter Rand on January 6, 1995.^[4] She was sworn into the Assembly on February 27.^[5] Serving in the Assembly until 2010, representing the 5th District for the entire time she was serving, she was the Assistant Majority Leader from 2002–2005 and Deputy Majority Leader from January 2008 to January 2010.^[2] In 2009 she announced that she would retire after her current term in the legislature.^[6]

Cruz-Perez was the primary sponsor of Bill S2599 which seeks to change the legal term of “illegal alien” to “undocumented foreign national."^[7]

Following the election and swearing in of State Senator Donald Norcross to the United States House of Representatives in 2014, the Democratic committees of Camden and Gloucester counties (the two counties within the 5th district) appointed Cruz-Perez to the vacant Senate seat.^[3] She will serve until a special election in 2015 in which she is running.^[8] While in the Senate, she is serving on the Economic Growth, (vice-chair), Military and Veterans' Affairs, and Transportation committees and Joint Committee on the Public Schools. In addition to her legislative duties, she is also a Vice-Chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee (since 2015) and a member of the Rutgers University–Camden Board of Directors (since 2014).^[2] Between her legislative stints, she was the Democratic Vice-Chair of the 2011 New Jersey Apportionment Commission, the committee delegated to redraw the state legislative districts following the 2010 Census.^[5]