N. Nick Perry

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N. Nick Perry currently represents District 58 in the New York State Assembly, which is comprised of East Flatbush, as well as portions of Canarsie and Brownsville, among other neighborhoods located in the borough of Brooklyn. Nick Perry serves as the Majority Whip of the New York State Assembly, and is First Vice Chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus.

Born in St. Andrew Parish in Jamaica, Noah Nicholas Perry worked for Bustamante Industrial Trade Union before immigrating to the United States in 1971. The following year he volunteered for the United States Army, from which he was honorably discharged at the rank of Specialist E-5 in 1978 after having served as an active-duty serviceman for two years and inactive reserve for four years.

In 1983, Perry was appointed as a member of Community Board 17-he would ultimately become chairman of that board-and the following year he would run as a candidate for District Leader in the 42nd Assembly District. He would later serve as a member of the Executive Board of the 67th Police Precinct and as a director of Flatbush East Community Development Corporation.

In 1988, Perry would run unsuccessfully for a seat in the New York State Assembly. In 1991, he would run unsuccessfully for a seat in the New York City Council. Finally, the following year, he was elected to serve as the assemblyman for the district that he currently represents.

Since 2001, Perry has been the Vice-Chair of the Assembly Majority Conference. He also currently serves on the New York State Assembly Committees on Banks, Energy, Labor, Higher Education, Transportation, and Insurance. In the past he has served Chairman of the Assembly Subcommittee on Community Colleges, as well as Vice-Chairman of the Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus.

In 2006, Assemblyman Perry declared his candidacy for the 11th Congressional District in New York State, which was being vacated by retiring Congressman Major Owens, and for which four other Democratic Party candidates were contending.

In May of 2006 he withdrew from the congressional race, which was seen as potentially assisting the candidacy of City Councilwoman Yvette Clarke whose family also hails from the Caribbean. Yvette Clarke went on to win the seat with Nick Perry's strong backing.

Nick Perry subsequently retained his Assembly seat in 2006, and won re-election to his eighth consecutive term with the highest percentage of vote for any candidate in New York State.

Assemblyman Perry will be running again for re-election to his Assembly seat in 2008. He is also strongly rumored to be a potentially candidate in the 2009 Brooklyn Borough President Race.

Perry holds a B.A. in Political Science from Brooklyn College.

He and his wife Joyce, reside in East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY.