Maria Teresa Ruiz (born June 28, 1974) is an American Democratic Party politician from the state of New Jersey. Ruiz has represented the 29th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate since taking office on January 8, 2008. She has served as the Senate Majority Leader since 2022 and is the first Latina to lead either house of the New Jersey Legislature.
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Education
Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Ruiz graduated from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School.
In 1998, Ruiz received a B.A. in English from Drew University.
New Jersey Senate
With Sharpe James not running for re-election to the Senate seat in the 29th District, Ruiz won the support of Cory Booker and James' son. Ruiz won the June 2007 Democratic primary, running unopposed. In the November 2007 general election, Ruiz and her Assembly running mates Alberto Coutinho and L. Grace Spencer won the three seats from the district. Ruiz won with 57.8% of the vote, defeating five other candidates, including Democrats-running-as independents Luis Quintana (with 15.9%) in second place and William D. Payne (with 15.7%) who came in third.
Ruiz took office in the Senate in January 2008.
Committees
Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:
Legislative Oversight (as vice-chair)
Budget and Appropriations
District 29
Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The representatives from the 29th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:
Senator Teresa Ruiz (D)
Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin (D)
Assemblywoman Shanique Speight (D)
Awards
In January 2025, Ruiz was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Montclair State University.