IRVINGTON, NJ — Next stop, N.J. state Senate! Renee Burgess, who last month was president of the Irvington Town Council, is now New Jersey’s newest state senator. This makes her the first state senator to hail from Irvington. She was sworn into office on Sept. 29 to represent the 28th Legislative District, filling the seat vacated by longtime state Sen. Ronald L. Rice, who retired in August due to health concerns.
As Burgess was sworn in, the Bible was held by longtime Irvington municipal clerk Harold Wiener and Burgess’ daughter, Giovana Burgess-Humes.
Burgess, a Democrat, was chosen by Essex County Democrats in early September to succeed Rice temporarily. Burgess will serve through Nov. 8, when a special election will be held to fill the rest of Rice’s term, which expires in January 2024.
In addition to serving on the town council, Burgess, 51, also served on the Irvington Board of Education from 2003 to 2014.
“It feels almost impossible to adequately express my gratitude to everyone who has given me this extraordinary honor to serve as senator for the 28th Legislative District, but here we go,” Burgess said in Senate chambers after being sworn in. She thanked God, as well as thanking elected officials and state leaders; she especially thanked her daughter for her support and her church family at Union Gospel Tabernacle in Newark.
“I am feeling overwhelmingly excited this morning. Some would say, ‘Of course. You’ve just been sworn in as a senator.’ And yes, this is true. However, this moment is bigger than that,” Burgess said. “I have just been elevated to a level in my life where I have been granted the opportunity to do something I love and desire so passionately: helping others. No matter race, creed, color or background, it is my responsibility to everyone who has made it possible for me to be here to just simply listen to our people, feel and hear their hearts, because they are hurting, they are needing a helping hand so that they can enjoy the simple things in life, and that’s living their God-given purpose here on earth.
“So, I understand my assignment and it will be executed accordingly,” she continued. “I look forward to working with everyone inside and outside this building to make New Jersey, the 28th District, a better place to live, work, worship and to just be happy by supporting laws that will efficiently and effectively help build our communities according to their needs.”
As a member of the state Senate, Burgess will serve on the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee and the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. She has also been appointed to the Joint Committee on Housing Affordability, the Joint Committee on the Public Schools, and the Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunities.
“I welcome Renee Burgess to the New Jersey Senate,” Senate President Nicholas Scutari said in a Sept. 29 statement. “Sen. Burgess brings a wealth of experience in the public and private sectors and possesses an understanding of government from her service in elected and appointed positions. She has deep roots in her community and a record of accomplishment in local government. She will be a strong advocate for the residents of the 28th District and a valued member of the Senate Democratic Majority as we continue our work to advance the priorities of the people of New Jersey.”
Irvington’s Burgess is sworn in as state senator added by Yael Katzwer on
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