Coughlin gets third term as Assembly Speaker

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin was re-elected to a third term as Speaker and will become the state’s longest-serving lower Democratic lower house leader when the Legislature reorganizes in January.

Once he completes his next term, Coughlin will have tied Jack Collins, a Republican, as the longest-serving Assembly Speaker in state history: six years.

“In these past four years, we did not shy away from tackling the big issues,” Coughlin said. “We raised the minimum wage, we made climate response a real priority, reinvigorated our state’s economic competitiveness, and addressed serious institutional inequities.”

Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald will also get a third term.  Annette Quijano (D-Elizabeth) will return for a second term as Majority Conference Leader.

The new Speaker Pro-Tempore will be Benjie Wimberly, a Paterson Democrat.  He’ll replace Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood), who was elected to the State Senate on Tuesday.

“The charge ahead is to keep building policy for transformative and lasting change. We’re aiming to get to the heart of some of the deepest inequalities laid bare by the pandemic – from housing security, food access, and small business resilience to childcare, education, and mental health,” Coughlin stated. “Leading our chamber, I am once again confident that working with my leadership team, the members of our caucus, our colleagues across the aisle, and in partnership with the Senate and Governor, we will build on the progress of these past for years.”