Ellen Park | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Park in 2025 | |
| Member of theNew Jersey General Assembly from the37th district | |
| Assumed office January 11, 2022 Serving with Shama Haider | |
| Preceded by | Valerie Huttle andGordon M. Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1972-03-06)March 6, 1972 (age 53) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Richard Ma |
| Website | Legislative webpage |
Ellen J. Park (born March 6, 1972) is an American lawyer andDemocratic Party politician who was elected in the2021 New Jersey General Assembly election as an assemblywoman forNew Jersey's 37th legislative district, making her the firstKorean American woman to be elected to theNew Jersey Legislature.
Born inSouth Korea, Park moved to the United States as a child and was raised in theNew York City neighborhoods ofSunnyside andFlushing. She attendedBronx High School of Science andNew York University.[1] She earned aJuris Doctor degree from theHofstra UniversityMaurice A. Deane School of Law.[2] She was elected in 2016 to serve on theEnglewood Cliffs, New Jersey Borough Council. In the November 2021 general election, she was elected together with her running mates, making her the first Korean woman to serve in the state legislature.[1]
Since 2024, Park has served in the Assembly asParliamentarian.[2]
In 2024, Park was one of the 14 Democratic Partyelectors who cast the states 14 electoral votes for Kamala Harris for President and Tim Walz for Vice President.[3]
Committee assignments for the2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[2]
Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in theNew Jersey Senate and two members in theNew Jersey General Assembly.[4] The representatives from the 37th District for the2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ellen J. Park (incumbent) | 26,942 | 36.4 | |
| Democratic | Shama A. Haider (incumbent) | 25,943 | 35.0 | |
| Republican | Robert Bedoya | 10,673 | 14.4 | |
| Republican | Katherine Lebovics | 10,526 | 14.2 | |
| Total votes | 74,084 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ellen J. Park | 33,532 | 33.77% | |
| Democratic | Shama A. Haider | 32,797 | 33.03% | |
| Republican | Edward P. Durfee Jr. | 16,193 | 16.31% | |
| Republican | Perley V. Patrick | 15,863 | 15.97% | |
| Children&Seniors First | Natacha M. Pannell | 923 | 0.93% | |
| Total votes | 99,308 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||