List of speakers of the New Jersey General Assembly

Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly
Coat of arms of New Jersey
since January 9, 2018
Status
  • Presiding officer
SeatTrenton, New Jersey
Term lengthTwo years, renewable
Constituting instrumentNew Jersey Constitution of 1947 (current)
Proprietary Charter of New Jersey (initial)
Inaugural holderThomas Gardiner
FormationMarch 31, 1664 (1664-03-31)
DeputyDeputy Speaker
Websitewww.njleg.state.nj.us

The speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly, commonly known as the speaker of the Assembly or Assembly speaker, is presiding officer of the New Jersey General Assembly, the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. The speaker is elected by the membership of the chamber. After the lieutenant governor and president of the New Jersey Senate, the speaker of the Assembly is third in the line of succession to replace the governor of New Jersey in the event that the governor is unable to execute the duties of that office.

The speaker generally determines the legislative agenda of the Assembly through his or her power to determine the schedule of votes, to determine which bills will be brought for consideration, and to appoint the chairs of Assembly committees.

The current speaker is Craig Coughlin of Woodbridge Township. Coughlin is the longest-serving speaker in the history of the office, having been in office since January 9, 2018. Under the 1844 state constitution, most speakers served only for a single session of the Assembly.

The first female speaker of the Assembly was Marion West Higgins, who served in 1965.

List of Assembly speakers

The following is a list of speakers of the Assembly since 1703.[1]

Speakers of the New Jersey General Assembly
No. Speaker Term in office Party Constituency
(Hometown)
-   Thomas Gardiner 1703
–
1704 		N/A City of Burlington
- Peter Fretwell 1704
–
1706 		N/A City of Burlington
- Samuel Jennings 1707 N/A City of Burlington
- Thomas Gordon 1708
–
1709 		N/A City of Perth Amboy
- John Kay 1709
–
1714 		N/A Gloucester County
- Daniel Coxe IV
(1673–1739) 		1716 N/A Gloucester County
- John Kinsey 1716
–
1719 		N/A Middlesex County
- John Johnstone 1721
–
1722 		N/A City of Perth Amboy
- William Trent
(c. 1653–1724) 		1723
–
December 25, 1724 		N/A Burlington County
- John Johnstone 1725
–
1729 		N/A City of Perth Amboy
- John Kinsey Jr. 1730
–
1733 		N/A Middlesex County
From 1733–38, no Assembly was called or elected by the provincial government.
-   John Kinsey Jr. 1738 N/A Middlesex County
- Joseph Bonnell 1738
–
1739 		N/A Essex County
- Andrew Johnston
(1694–1762) 		1740
–
1744 		N/A City of Perth Amboy
- Samuel Nevill 1744
–
1745 		N/A City of Perth Amboy
- Robert Lawrence 1746
–
1748 		N/A City of Perth Amboy
- Samuel Nevill 1748
–
1751 		N/A City of Perth Amboy
- Charles Read 1751
–
1754 		N/A City of Burlington
- Robert Lawrence 1754
–
1758 		N/A Monmouth County
- Samuel Nevill 1759
–
1762 		N/A City of Perth Amboy
- Robert Ogden 1763
–
1765 		N/A Essex County
- Cortlandt Skinner
(1727–1799) 		1765
–
1770 		N/A City of Perth Amboy
- Stephen Crane 1770
–
1772 		N/A Essex County
- Cortlandt Skinner
(1727–1799) 		1773
–
1775 		N/A City of Perth Amboy
On December 6, 1775, royal governor William Franklin prorogued the legislature until January 3, 1776, but it never met again.[2] On May 30, 1776, Franklin attempted to convene the legislature, but was arrested by the New Jersey Provincial Congress.[3] On July 2, 1776, the Provincial Congress approved a new constitution which ordered new elections.
1 John Hart
(c. 1713–1779) 		1776
–
1778 		Independent Hunterdon County
2 Caleb Camp 1778
–
1779 		[data missing] Essex County
3 Josiah Hornblower
(1729–1809) 		1780 [data missing] Essex County
4 John Meheim 1781 [data missing] Hunterdon County
5 Ephraim Harris 1782
–
1783 		[data missing] Cumberland County
6 Daniel Hendrickson 1784 [data missing] Monmouth County
7 Benjamin Van Cleve 1784
–
1786 		[data missing] Hunterdon County
- Ephraim Harris 1787 [data missing] Cumberland County
- Benjamin Van Cleve 1788 [data missing] Hunterdon County
8   John Beatty
(1749–1826) 		1789 Federalist Middlesex County
9 Jonathan Dayton
(1749–1826) 		1790 Federalist Essex County
10   Ebenezer Elmer
(1752–1843) 		1791 Republican Cumberland County
11 Silas Condict
(1738–1801) 		1792
–
1794 		Republican Morris County
- Ebenezer Elmer
(1752–1843) 		1795 Republican Cumberland County
12   James H. Imlay
(1764–1823) 		1796 Federalist Monmouth County
-   Silas Condict
(1738–1801) 		1797 Republican Morris County
13   William Coxe Jr.
(1762–1831) 		1798
–
1800 		Federalist Burlington County
14 Silas Dickerson 1801 Federalist Sussex County
- William Coxe Jr.
(1762–1831) 		1802 Federalist Burlington County
15   Peter Gordon 1803 Republican Hunterdon County
16 James Cox
(1753–1810) 		1804
–
1807 		Republican Monmouth County
17 Lewis Condict
(1772–1862) 		1808
–
1809 		Republican Morris County
18 William Kennedy
(c. 1775–1826) 		1810
–
1811 		Republican Sussex County
19 William Pearson 1812 Republican Burlington County
20   Ephraim Bateman
(1780–1829) 		1813 Federalist Cumberland County
21   Samuel Pennington 1814
–
1815 		Republican Essex County
22 Charles Clark 1816 Republican Essex County
- Ebenezer Elmer 1817 Republican Cumberland County
23 David Thompson Jr. 1818
–
1822 		Republican Morris County
24 Lucius Elmer
(1793–1883) 		1823 Republican Cumberland County
25 David Johnston 1824 Republican Hunterdon County
26   George K. Drake 1825
–
1826 		Jacksonian Morris County
27   William B. Ewing 1827
–
1828 		National Republican Cumberland County
28   Alexander Wurts 1829
–
1831 		Jacksonian Hunterdon County
29   John Peter Jackson 1832 National Republican Essex County
30   Daniel Bailey Ryall
(1798–1864) 		1833
–
1835 		Democratic Monmouth County
31 Thomas G. Haight 1836 Democratic Monmouth County
32 Lewis Condict
(1772–1862) 		1837
–
1838 		Democratic Morris County
33   William Stites 1839 Whig Essex County
34 John Emley 1840
–
1841 		Whig Burlington County
35 Samuel Halsey 1842 Whig Morris County
36 Joseph Taylor 1843
–
1844 		Whig Cumberland County
The Constitution of 1844 expanded the General Assembly to 60 members, elected annually and apportioned to the then-nineteen counties by population.[4]
37   Isaac Van Wagenen 1845 Democratic Essex County
38   Lewis Howell 1846 Whig Cumberland County
39 John W. C. Evans 1847
–
1848 		Whig Burlington County
40 Edward W. Whelpley
(1818–1864) 		1849 Whig Morris County
41 John T. Nixon
(1820–1889) 		1850 Whig Cumberland County
42   John H. Phillips 1851 Democratic Mercer County
43 John Huyler
(1808–1870) 		1852 Democratic Bergen County
44 John W. Fennimore 1853
–
1854 		Democratic Burlington County
45   William Parry 1855 Whig[a] Burlington County
46   Thomas W. Demarest 1856 Democratic Bergen County
47 Andrew Dutcher 1857 Democratic Mercer County
48 Daniel Holsman 1858 Democratic Bergen County
49   Edwin Salter 1859 Opposition Ocean County
50   Austin H. Patterson
(d. 1905) 		1860 Democratic Monmouth County
51 Frederick H. Teese
(1823–1894) 		1861 Democratic Essex County
52 Charles Haight
(1838–1891) 		1862 Democratic Monmouth County
53 James T. Crowell 1863 Democratic Middlesex County
54 Joseph N. Taylor 1864 Democratic Passaic County
55 Joseph T. Crowell
(1817–1891) 		1865 Democratic Union County
56   John Hill
(1821–1884) 		1866 National Union Morris County
57 G. W. N. Curtis 1867 National Union Camden County
58   Augustus O. Evans 1868 Democratic Hudson County
59 Leon Abbett
(1836–1894) 		1869
–
1870 		Democratic Hudson County
60   Albert P. Condit 1871 National Union Essex County
61 Nathaniel Niles 1872 National Union Morris County
62 Isaac L. Fisher 1873 National Union Middlesex County
63   Garret Hobart
(1844–1899) 		1874 Republican Passaic County
64   George O. Vanderbilt 1875 Democratic Mercer County
65   John D. Caracallen 1876 Republican Hudson County
66   Rudolph F. Rabe 1877 Democratic Hudson County
67 John Egan 1878 Democratic Union County
68   Schuyler B. Jackson 1879 Republican Essex County
69 Sherman B. Oviatt 1880 Republican Monmouth County
70 Harrison Van Duyne 1881 Republican Essex County
71   John T. Dunn
(1838–1907) 		1882 Democratic Union County
72 Thomas O'Connor 1883 Democratic Essex County
73   A. B. Stoney 1884 Republican Monmouth County
74 Edward Ambler Armstrong
(1858–1932) 		1885
–
1886 		Republican Camden County
(Camden)
75 William M. Baird 1887 Republican Warren County
76   Samuel D. Dickinson 1888 Democratic Hudson County
77 Robert S. Hudspeth 1889 Democratic Hudson County
78 Willliam Christian Heppenheimer 1890 Democratic Hudson County
79 James J. Bergen
(1847–1923) 		1891
–
1892 		Democratic Somerset County
80 Thomas Flynn 1893 Democratic Passaic County
81 John I. Holt 1894
–
May 26, 1894 		Democratic Passaic County
82   Joseph Cross
(1843–1913) 		1894
–
1895 		Republican Union County
83 Louis T. DeRousse 1896 Republican Camden County
84 George W. MacPherson 1897 Republican Mercer County
85 David Ogden Watkins
(1862–1938) 		1898
–
1899 		Republican Gloucester County
(Woodbury)
86 Benjamin Franklin Jones
(1869–1935) 		1900 Republican Essex County
(Maplewood)
87 William J. Bradley
(1852–1916) 		1901
–
1902 		Republican Camden County
(Camden)
88 John G. Horner 1903 Republican Burlington County
89 John Boyd Avis
(1875–1944) 		1904
–
1905 		Republican Gloucester County
(Woodbury)
90 Samuel K. Robbins
(1853–1926) 		1906 Republican Burlington County
(Chester)
91   Edgar E. Lethbridge 1907 Democratic Essex County
92   Frank B. Jess 1908 Republican Camden County
93 John Dyneley Prince
(1868–1945) 		1909 Republican Passaic County
(Ringwood)
94 Harry P. Ward 1910 Republican Bergen County
95   Edward Kenny 1911 Democratic Hudson County
96   Thomas F. McCran
(1875–1925) 		1912 Republican Passaic County
(Paterson)
97   Leon Rutherford Taylor
(1883–1924) 		1913
–
October 28, 1913 		Democratic Monmouth County
(Asbury Park)
98 Azariah M. Beekman 1914 Democratic Somerset County
99   Carlton Godfrey
(1865–1929) 		1915 Republican Atlantic County
(Atlantic City)
100 Charles C. Pilgrim 1916 Republican Essex County
101 Edward Schoen 1917 Republican Essex County
102 Charles A. Wolverton
(1880–1969) 		1918 Republican Camden County
(Camden)
103 Arthur N. Pierson
(1867–1957) 		1919 Republican Union County
(Westfield)
104 W. Irving Glover 1920 Republican Bergen County
105 George S. Hobart
(1875–1938) 		1921 Republican Essex County
(Newark)
106 T. Harry Rowland 1922 Republican Camden County
107 William Wadsworth Evans
(1887–1972) 		1923 Republican Passaic County
(Paterson)
108 Harry G. Eaton 1924 Republican Essex County
109 Clifford Ross Powell
(1893–1973) 		1925 Republican Burlington County
(Mount Holly
110 Ralph W. Chandless 1926 Republican Bergen County
111 Anthony J. Siracusa 1927 Republican Atlantic County
112 Thomas L. Hanson 1928 Republican Middlesex County
113 Guy Gabrielson
(1891–1976) 		1929 Republican Essex County
114 William B. Knight 1930 Republican Camden County
115 Russell S. Wise 1931 Republican Passaic County
116   Joseph Greenberg 1932 Democratic Hudson County
117   Charles A. Otto Jr. 1933
–
November 14, 1933 		Republican Union County
118 Herbert J. Pascoe 1933 Republican Union County
119 Joseph Altman 1934 Republican Atlantic County
120 Lester H. Clee
(1888–1962) 		1945 Republican Essex County
(Newark)
121 Marcus W. Newcomb 1936 Republican Burlington County
122   Thomas Glynn Walker
(1899–1993) 		1936
–
November 30, 1936 		Democratic Hudson County
(Jersey City)
123   Fred W. De Voe 1936 Republican Middlesex County
124 Herbert J. Pascoe 1938
–
1939 		Republican Union County
125 Roscoe P. McClave 1940
–
1941 		Republican Bergen County
126 John E. Boswell 1942 Republican Cape May County
127 Manfield G. Amlickie 1942 Republican Passaic County
128 Dominic A. Cavicchia
(1901–1983) 		1943 Republican Essex County
(Newark)
129 Freas L. Hess 1944 Republican Somerset County
130 Walter H. Jones
(1912–1982) 		1945 Republican Bergen County
(Norwood)
131 Leon Leonard
(1909–1995) 		1946 Republican Atlantic County
132 Joseph L. Brescher 1947 Republican Union County
133 Hugh L. Mehorter 1949 Republican Gloucester County
134 Percy A. Miller Jr.
(1889–1984) 		1950 Republican Essex County
(Irvington)
135 James E. Fraser 1950 Republican Atlantic County
136 Merrill H. Thompson 1951 Republican Monmouth County
137 Lawrence A. Cavinato 1952 Republican Bergen County
138 Elvin R. Simmill 1953 Republican Monmouth County
139 G. Clifford Thomas 1954 Republican Union County
140 Paul M. Salsburg 1955 Republican Atlantic County
141 Leo J. Mosch 1956 Republican Essex County
142 Elden Mills
(1908–1965) 		1957 Republican Morris County
143   William F. Hyland
(1923–2013) 		1958 Democratic Camden County
(Cherry Hill)
144 William Kurtz 1959 Democratic Middlesex County
145 Maurice V. Brady
(1904–1991) 		1960 Democratic Hudson County
146 Le Roy J. D'Aloia 1961 Democratic Essex County
147 John W. Davis
(1918–2003) 		1962 Democratic Salem County
148 Elmer Matthews
(1927–2015) 		1963 Democratic Essex County
149   Alfred N. Beadleston
(1912–2000) 		1964 Republican Monmouth County
150 Marion West Higgins
(1915–1991) 		1965 Republican Bergen County
(Hillsdale)
-   Maurice V. Brady
(1904–1991) 		1966 Democratic Hudson County
151 Frederick H. Hauser 1966 Democratic Hudson County
152   Robert J. Halpin 1968 Republican Cumberland County
153 Albert S. Smith 1969 Republican District 2
154 Peter Moraites
(1922–2014) 		1970 Republican District 13D
(Edgewater)
155 William K. Dickey
(1920–2008) 		1970 Republican District 3C
Collingswood)
156 Barry T. Parker
(1932–) 		1971 Republican District 4B
(Mount Holly)
157 Thomas Kean
(1935–) 		1972
–
1974 		Republican District 11E
(Livingston)
158   S. Howard Woodson
(1916–1999) 		1974
–
1976 		Democratic 13th district
(Trenton)
159 Joseph A. LeFante
(1928–1997) 		1977 Democratic 31st district
(Bayonne)
160 William J. Hamilton
(1932–2019) 		1977 Democratic 17th district
(New Brunswick)
161 Christopher Jackman
(1916–1991) 		1978
–
1982 		Democratic 33rd district
(West New York)
162 Alan Karcher
(1943–1999) 		January 12, 1982
–
January 14, 1986 		Democratic 19th district
(Sayreville)
163   Chuck Hardwick
(1941–2025) 		January 14, 1986
–
1990 		Republican 21st district
(Westfield)
164   Joseph Doria
(1946–) 		1990
–
1992 		Democratic 31st district
(Bayonne)
165   Chuck Haytaian
(1938–2024) 		1992
–
January 9, 1996 		Republican 23rd district
(Mansfield)
166 Jack Collins
(1943–) 		January 9, 1996
–
January 8, 2002 		Republican 3rd district
(Pittsgrove)
167   Albio Sires
(1951–) 		January 8, 2002
–
January 10, 2006 		Democratic 33rd district
(West New York)
168 Joseph J. Roberts
(1952–) 		January 10, 2006
–
January 12, 2010 		Democratic 5th district
(Bellmawr)
169 Sheila Oliver
(1952–2023) 		2010
–
January 14, 2014 		Democratic 34th district
(East Orange)
170 Vincent Prieto
(1960–) 		2014
–
January 9, 2018 		Democratic 32nd district
(Secaucus)
171 Craig Coughlin
(1958–) 		January 9, 2018
–
present 		Democratic 19th district
(Woodbridge)
  1. ^ Parry was elected by a coalition of Whigs and Americans (Know-Nothing).

References

  1. ^ Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey. J.A. Fitzgerald. 1977.
  2. ^ Journal of the Governor and Council Vol. VI (1769-1775), Archives of the State of New Jersey, First Series, Vol. XVIII; The John L. Murphy Publishing Co., Printers, Trenton, New Jersey, 1893. p. 566
  3. ^ "The Governors of New Jersey 1664-1974: Biographical Essays", New Jersey Historical Commission, Trenton, New Jersey, 1982. p. 75
  4. ^ Journal of the Governor and Council Vol. VI (1769-1775), Archives of the State of New Jersey, First Series, Vol. XVIII; The John L. Murphy Publishing Co., Printers, Trenton, New Jersey, 1893. p. 566
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