Vincent J. Hughes (born October 26, 1956) is a Democratic member of the

Pennsylvania State Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...

, representing the 7th District since 1994. Hughes previously served as a member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

from the 190th District from 1987 to 1994.

Early life and education

Hughes was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, to James and Ann (née Adams) Hughes. After attending

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...

, he worked as library administrator at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

and was an official of District Council 47 of the

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is the largest trade union of public employees in the United States. It represents 1.3 million public sector employees and retirees, including health care workers, correcti ...

Career

In 1984, Hughes unsuccessfully ran for the

in the 190th District, losing to longtime incumbent James Barber in the Democratic primary. He challenged Barber again in 1986, and finally won the nomination. In the general election, he defeated his

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 ...

opponent, Sandra R. Kellar, by a margin of 89%-11%. As a member of the State House, he served as chairman the

Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsy ...

from 1991 to 1994. After

Chaka Fattah Chaka Fattah (born Arthur Davenport; November 21, 1956) is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House for from 1995 to 2016. The district included portions of North Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, and West Ph ...

resigned to run for the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Hughes was elected to succeed him as

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 ...

from the 7th District in a special election on November 21, 1994. As a member of the State Senate, he has served as Deputy Minority Whip (2005-2006), Minority Caucus Secretary (2007-2008), Minority Caucus Chair (2009-2010). He was elected Minority Chair of the Appropriations Committee in 2011. In February 2012, Hughes voted in favor of House Bill 1950. This bill significantly reduces the rights of municipalities to defend themselves against health risks posed by gas drilling. Hughes is currently the Democratic chair of the

Senate Appropriations Committee The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate. The Senate Appropriations Committee is the largest committe ...

Personal life

Hughes is a trustee of the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. Hughes met actress, singer, and activist

Sheryl Lee Ralph Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut in the 1977 comedy film '' A Piece of the Action'', before landing the role of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical ''Dreamgirls'' (1981), for which she received a ...

in 2003. The couple married in 2005. Hughes had two children from a previous marriage, as did Ralph.

References

External links

Pennsylvania State Senate - Vincent J. Hughes
- Official PA Senate website
Senator Hughes
- Caucus website
Vincent Hughes for Senate
- Campaign website
Project Vote Smart - Senator Vincent J. Hughes (PA)
profile *''Follow the Money'' - Vincent J Hughes
2006200420022000
campaign contributions

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Vincent 1956 births 2012 United States presidential electors 21st-century American politicians African-American state legislators in Pennsylvania African-American Christians Baptists from Pennsylvania Living people Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators Politicians from Philadelphia Temple University alumni American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees people 21st-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American people