Shama Haider (born December 20, 1948) is a Democratic Party politician who represents the 37th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly since taking office on January 11, 2022. Along with Sadaf Jaffer, she is one of the first Muslim women to be elected to the New Jersey Legislature.
Political career
Born and raised in Pakistan, where she attended the University of Punjab,[1] Haider served as Secretary to the First Lady of Pakistan Nusrat Bhutto. Haider emigrated to the United States in 1977. She was elected in both 2001 and 2015 to serve on the Tenafly, New Jersey Borough Council. In the November 2021 general election, she was elected together with her running mates Gordon M. Johnson to the Senate and Ellen Park in the Assembly, making her one of the first two Muslim woman to serve in the state legislature.[2][3]
She has served in the Assembly since 2024 as Deputy Majority Leader.[1]
Committees
Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[1]
- Children, Families and Food Security (as chair)
- Appropriations
- Health
District 37
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.[4] The representatives from the 37th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[5]
- Senator Gordon M. Johnson (D)
- Assemblywoman Shama Haider (D)
- Assemblywoman Ellen Park (D)
Electoral history
| 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 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| 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 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
- ^ a b c Assemblywoman Shama A. Haider, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 29, 2024.
- ^ Adely, Hannan. "Bergen's Shama Haider makes history as first Muslim elected to NJ Legislature", The Record, November 3, 2021. Accessed November 7, 2021. "That changed on Election Day, however, when former Tenafly councilwoman Shama Haider won the race for state Assembly in the 37th District in Bergen County.... Haider, 72, has been active in local politics for over two decades, serving on the Tenafly Borough Council twice in terms beginning in 2001 and in 2015."
- ^ Difilippo, Dana. "Trailblazing scholar heads to the N.J. Assembly with eye on public access", New Jersey Monitor, January 3, 2022. Accessed January 29, 2024. "Sadaf Jaffer is used to being first.... When she gets sworn in next week as one of the newest members of the New Jersey Assembly, she and fellow newcomer Shama Haider will be the first Muslims to serve in the Legislature."
- ^ New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022.
- ^ Legislative Roster for District 37, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 29, 2024.
- ^ "Candidates for General Assembly - For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/02/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.