Nilsa Cruz-PerezServing

Nilsa Cruz-Perez

State SenateDemocrat

NJ-SD-5 State Senate

Age 65·Puerto Rican·NHCSL Secretary

Why This Race Matters

Senator Cruz-Perez is not up for re-election until November 2027. As the first Latina to serve in the NJ Assembly (1995) and now a State Senator, she is a trailblazer for Latino representation in New Jersey politics. She chairs the Senate Economic Growth Committee and serves as Vice Chair of Military and Veterans' Affairs, reflecting her dual identity as a Puerto Rican woman and Army veteran.

Won her 2023 re-election with 68.7% (25,799 votes) against Republican Clyde Cook (29.9%). She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Her district (SD-5) covers Camden and Gloucester counties, a safely Democratic seat. She serves as Secretary of the NHCSL, connecting her to the national network of Latino state legislators.

About

Nilsa Cruz-Perez is a New Jersey State Senator representing the 5th Legislative District, covering Camden and Gloucester counties. Born and raised in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, she studied Political Science at the University of Puerto Rico before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1981, serving in Mainz, Germany, and attaining the rank of Sergeant by her honorable discharge in 1987. She made history in 1995 as the first Latina woman to serve in the New Jersey Assembly, where she rose to Deputy Majority Leader. She was appointed to the State Senate in December 2014 and has since become the highest-ranking South Jersey Latina in the legislature.

Family & Heritage

Born and raised in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Moved to Camden, New Jersey in 1991. In Puerto Rico, she worked for the Popular Democratic Party before joining the U.S. Army.

Political Career

Before Politics

U.S. Army Sergeant (1981-1987, stationed in Mainz, Germany); Executive Assistant to Vice President, Cooper's Ferry Development Association (1991); Executive Assistant to the Mayor of Camden (1993); Outreach and Community Coordinator, Camden County Improvement Authority (1998-2013); Director, Camden County Department of Constituent Services and Office of Hispanic Affairs

Education

University of Puerto Rico (B.A. in Political Science); U.S. Quartermaster School; Big Bend Community College; Temple University; University of Maryland (overseas division)

Key Issues & Priorities

*Economic Growth
*Veterans Affairs
*Affordable Housing
*Education
*Healthcare
*Hispanic Community Empowerment

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