Valerie Vainieri Huttle (born September 15, 1956
[) is an American ]Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...
where she represented the 37th Legislative District, from 2006 to 2022. Huttle served on the Bergen County
Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, a Board of County Commissioners (until 2020 named the Board of Chosen Freeholders) is the elected county-wide government board in each of the state's 21 counties. In the five counties that have an elected county executive, the b ...]
from 2001 through 2006.
In the Assembly, Huttle served on the Homeland Security and State Preparedness (Chair), Labor (Vice-Chair), and Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committees.[Assemblywoman Vainieri-Huttle's legislative web page]
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...
. Accessed December 6, 2019.
Biography and early political career
Huttle was born in 1956 to Anthony P. and Natalie Vainieri. Her family founded the Vainieri Funeral Home in North Bergen
North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 63,361. The township was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by a ...
; in addition, her father served on the North Bergen Board of Commissioners and one term in the General Assembly from the 32nd District from 1983 to 1985. Her brother Anthony P. Vainieri, Jr. is currently serving on the Hudson County
Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...
Board of County Commissioners
A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...
and is the current Chairperson. She is a state-licensed funeral director and has served as president of the funeral home since 1981.[
Huttle graduated ]cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
from Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university with its main campuses in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Founded in 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University currently offers more than 100 degree programs to its students. In addition to its tw ...
in 1980 with a B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in English, and received state certification for teaching. She also attended Rider University
Rider University is a private university in Lawrence Township, New Jersey. It consists of four academic units: the Norm Brodsky College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Education and Human Services, and West ...
, but did not receive a degree.[ Huttle is a former member of the Board of Palisades General Hospital and founder of the Southern Bergen County Homeowners Association. She is also a co-founder of "WIN", Women Involved Now, an educational and social network for women in the community. Huttle sits on the Board of Trustees as Vice-President of Shelter Our Sisters, an organization that brings awareness to the plight of victims of domestic violence while providing hope and revitalization to their lives through counseling and direct care. She has served as a former Trustee of Vantage Health.][
While a resident of ]Cliffside Park
Cliffside Park is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 23,594,[New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...]
in 1997 in the 38th District against Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
incumbent
The incumbent is the current holder of an official, office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seek ...
Louis F. Kosco
Louis F. Kosco (born June 5, 1932) is an American Republican Party politician who served in both the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate.
Biography
Born in Hackensack, Kosco grew up in Ridgefield Park, where he attended Lin ...
. Despite raising more funds in the campaign than Kosco, she was defeated by him the general election 55% to 42%. Three years later in 2000, by now a resident of Englewood, she and running mate Jack Alter (who was also the mayor of Fort Lee) defeated Republican incumbent Bergen County Freeholders Richard Mola and J. William Van Dyke. Two years later on January 2, 2003, she was unanimously chosen by her peers to serve the Board as the first ever Chairwoman under its present County Executive
A county executive, county manager or county mayor is the head of the executive branch of government in a United States county.
The executive may be an elected or an appointed position. When elected, the executive typically functions either as a ...
form of government. Her colleagues returned her to the Chairperson's seat once again in 2004.
As Freeholder, Huttle sat on the Community Oversight Board at Bergen Regional Medical Center during her first two years of service, providing oversight of the privately managed county hospital. She has also served on the county Board of Social Services and is a member of the Community Action Partnership Board of Trustees for the last four years where she worked for development of a one-stop homeless shelter to better address the needs of that growing population. She was a member of the Board of School Estimate at the Bergen County Technical Schools, a former member of the Board of School Estimate at Bergen Community College
Bergen Community College is a public community college in Bergen County, New Jersey. It was founded in 1965 and opened in 1968. , it is the largest community college in the state, with sites in Paramus, Hackensack, and Lyndhurst and 13,352 stu ...
and chaired the Freeholder committee for Health and Human Services.[ After serving one year as both an Assemblywoman and Freeholder, she declined to seek re-election in 2006 to the Freeholder board.]
Huttle is a resident of Englewood, where she lives with her husband Frank Huttle III and their two daughters, Alexandra and Francesca. Frank Huttle has served as Mayor of Englewood since January 2010, succeeding Michael Wildes
Michael Jay Wildes (born November 27, 1964) is an American immigration lawyer and politician who serves as the 38th and current Mayor of Englewood, New Jersey. He previously served as the 36th Mayor of Englewood from 2004 to 2010. A member of the ...
. Huttle and her husband were inducted into the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...
of Jerusalem in ceremonies held in September 2000 at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, having been recommended for the honor by Cardinal Theodore McCarrick
Theodore Edgar McCarrick (born July 7, 1930) is a laicized American bishop and former cardinal of the Catholic Church. Ordained a priest in 1958, he became an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1977, then became Bishop of Metuch ...
. Archbishop Edward Egan
Edward Michael Egan (April 2, 1932 – March 5, 2015) was an American Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, Diocese of Bridgeport in Connecticut from 19 ...
designated Mrs. Huttle a Dame and Mr. Huttle a Knight of the order.[
]
Legislative career
After the resignation of District 37 State Senator
A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
Description
A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...
Byron Baer
Byron M. Baer (October 18, 1929 – June 24, 2007) was an American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature. He served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1972 to 1993 and in the State ...
on September 8, 2005, Huttle had put her name in the ring to fill the Senate vacancy. Ultimately, she withdrew and endorsed Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg
Loretta Weinberg (born February 6, 1935) is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as a member of the New Jersey Senate from 2005-2022, where she represented the 37th Legislative District. She also served as Senate Majority Leader. ...
of Teaneck
Teaneck () is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 39,776, reflecting an increase of 516 (+1.3%) fr ...
to fill the seat. On October 5, after an extended legal battle related to inclusion of five disputed ballots, Weinberg was ultimately victorious over Hackensack Police Chief Ken Zisa
Charles "Ken" Zisa (born January 27, 1954) is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1994 to 2002, where he represented the 37th Legislative District.
A lifelong resident of Hac ...
in her bid to replace Baer, both on an interim basis and on the November General Election ballot.
With Weinberg's court victory, Huttle and Engelwood Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
Michael Wildes both announced their candidacies for Weinberg's Assembly slot on the November general election ballot and to fill the balance of her term in the Assembly once she took her seat in the Senate. The choice was decided by yet another special convention of the Bergen County Democratic Committee on October 6, 2005, with Huttle out-polling Wildes 121-96 (Huttle would ultimately not serve the remainder of Weinberg's term). Running together with Weinberg and incumbent Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson, Huttle was elected on Election Day, November 8, 2005, to the Assembly and sworn in as a new member on January 10, 2006, the first day of the 212th Legislative Session.
, Huttle chairs the Assembly Human Services Committee and sits on the Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee and the New Jersey Legislative Select Committee on Investigation investigating the Fort Lee lane closure scandal
The Fort Lee lane closure scandal, also known as the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal or Bridgegate, was a political scandal involving a staff member and political appointees of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie colluding to cr ...
. Since 2015, she has served as a Deputy Speaker.[
Following a legislative study mission to Israel in 2016, Huttle along with other Assembly Democrats sponsored an anti-BDS bill barring the state's pension funds from investing in companies that boycott Israel or Israeli businesses.]
In 2021, Huttle announced she would seek the District 37 Senate seat due to Loretta Weinberg's announcement that she would be retiring at the end of her term, going against fellow Assemblyman Gordon Johnson in the 2021 Democratic Primary Huttle was endorsed by the New Jersey Working Families Party
The Working Families Party (WFP) is a minor political party in the United States, founded in New York in 1998. There are active chapters in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Nev ...
, EMILY's List
EMILY's List is an American political action committee (PAC) that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985. The group's name is an acronym for "Early Money ...
, however she lacked her local Democratic party's support as they elected to back Johnson to bracket with the Democratic Party on the primary ballot. Due to this, Huttle made changing ballot design and party endorsements part of her campaign, aligning with local progressive groups pushing for this. Huttle lost the primary, being defeated by Johnson 3-1.
District 37
Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...
and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...
. The other representatives from the 37th District for the 2018-19 Legislative Session are:Legislative Roster for the 2018-2019 Session
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...
. Accessed December 6, 2019.
*Senator Loretta Weinberg
Loretta Weinberg (born February 6, 1935) is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as a member of the New Jersey Senate from 2005-2022, where she represented the 37th Legislative District. She also served as Senate Majority Leader. ...
*Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson
References
External links
Website for Valerie Huttle
Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle's legislative web page
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...
*''New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms''
201020092008200720062005
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huttle, Valerie
1956 births
21st-century American politicians
County commissioners in New Jersey
Fairleigh Dickinson University alumni
American funeral directors
Knights of the Holy Sepulchre
Living people
Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly
People from Cliffside Park, New Jersey
People from Englewood, New Jersey
Politicians from Bergen County, New Jersey
Rider University alumni
Women state legislators in New Jersey
21st-century American women politicians