Albio Sires

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Albio Sires
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office  November 13, 2006
Preceded by	Bob Menendez
Born	January 26, 1951 (1951-01-26) (age 57) Bejucal, Provincia de la Habana, Cuba
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Adrienne Sires
Religion	Roman Catholic

Albio Sires (born January 26, 1951 in Bejucal, Provincia de la Habana, Cuba) is a Cuban American Democratic Party politician and the current Member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey's 13th congressional district. He was elected on November 7, 2006 to fill the remainder of Bob Menendez's term as Congressman after Menendez was appointed by Governor Jon Corzine to fill his vacant Senate seat, and was sworn in on November 13, 2006.^[1] Sires was elected on the same day to represent his district for a full two-year term in the 110th United States Congress. He was previously a representative to the New Jersey General Assembly, where he represented the 33rd legislative district from 2000 to 2006.^[2]

[edit] New Jersey politician

Sires served as the Speaker of the Assembly from 2002 to 2006 and was the first Hispanic to serve as New Jersey's Assembly Speaker. He was considered a surprise pick for speaker, since he had only served one term in the Assembly before taking the position. It has been reported that he was elected as speaker after Gov.-Elect Jim McGreevey decided he did not want then Assembly Minority Leader Joseph Doria, a former speaker, to serve as speaker during his governorship.^[3]

Sires was an active Democrat in the 1970s and 1980s. He switched to the Republican Party in 1985 and he ran for Congress in 1986 against Frank Guarini. Sires lost that election by a 71% to 26% margin. Sires left the Republican Party in 1994 and became a registered independent. Sires rejoined the Democratic Party in 1998. Just three years later, he became Speaker.^[4]

During his tenure as speaker, Sires served as Acting Governor of New Jersey on several occasions, when former Gov. Jim McGreevey and former Gov. Richard Codey left the state. He was the first Hispanic to serve as an Acting Governor of New Jersey. As Acting Governor, Sires signed several bills into law and performed routine duties of the office.

For the 2006–2008 legislative session, Sires was given the largely honorary title of Speaker Emeritus. Sires is a former Chairman of the Legislative Services Commission. Sires stepped down from his seat in the Assembly, and was replaced by Silverio Vega, who was selected by the Democratic district committee to replace Sires. Vega was sworn in to office on December 11, 2006.^[5]

Sires was the Mayor of West New York from 1995 to 2006. Sires was succeeded by Vega, who will retain his mayoral seat while he simultaneously serves in the Assembly, joining fellow three fellow Hudson County mayors — Brian Stack of Union City in the Assembly and both Nicholas Sacco of North Bergen and Joseph Doria of Bayonne in the New Jersey Senate — who serve as both mayors and in the New Jersey Legislature.

Sires is a graduate of Memorial High School, and received a B.A. in 1974 from Saint Peter's College in Spanish and Marketing and was awarded an M.A. in 1985 from Middlebury College in Spanish.^[2] He is the owner of the A.M. Title Agency Inc.

[edit] 2006 congressional race

Main article: New Jersey 13th congressional district special election, 2006

Sires won election to the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey's 13th congressional district and won the special election to complete the final two months of Bob Menendez's term. Menendez moved up to the United States Senate to fill the seat vacated by Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine.

In the June 6, 2006, primary, Sires beat Assemblyman and Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas in a bitter primary. Sires defeated Vas 68% to 32% and won in Union, Hudson and Essex Counties, with Vas bested Sires in Middlesex County. In the simultaneous special primary to fill the remaining two months, Sires won approximately 90% of the vote, defeating James Geron, assuring Sires of a Congressional seat as no Republican was seeking the term.

Sires faced Republican John Guarini — a salesman and second cousin of former New Jersey Democratic Rep. Frank J. Guarini (1979–93) — who was unopposed for the GOP nomination. Vas did not seek the unexpired term seat.

CQPolitics notes "Sires’ likely November victories would cap off his ambitions for a House seat, which he first expressed exactly 20 years ago under very different circumstances. He ran that year as the Republican challenger to entrenched incumbent Guarini, but managed only 27 percent of the vote."^[6]

Sires is part of a handful of Cuban-lawmakers serving in the House, though he is the only Democrat.

After winning the election with 78% of the vote, Sires was sworn into the House on November 13, 2006 to begin to fill the remaining term of Senator Bob Menendez.^[7]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Representative Albio Sires official U.S. House site
• Sires for Congress official campaign site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Staff salary data at LegiStorm.com
• National Conference of State Legislatures — Albio Sires profile
• New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure form for 2005 (PDF)
• New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure form for 2004 (PDF)