Overview

Clinton Calabrese is a Democratic member of the New Jersey General Assembly, representing the 36th Legislative District (including Passaic city, Lyndhurst, and Edgewater) since February 2018. He serves as Deputy Speaker of the Assembly for the 2026–2027 legislative session, having previously served as Deputy Whip from 2022 to 2026. Calabrese chairs the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee and serves as Vice-Chair of the Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee. Professionally, he is a principal at Alkova Companies, a Cliffside Park-based real estate development and investment firm, and previously worked as an analyst at Deutsche Bank.

Calabrese entered the Assembly at age 31 following his appointment to fill the vacancy created by Marlene Caride’s resignation. He comes from a prominent Cliffside Park political family: his father, Gerald Calabrese Jr., served as chairman of the Cliffside Park Democratic Party, and his grandfather, Gerald Calabrese, served for 50 years as mayor of Cliffside Park and was a former professional basketball player. Calabrese previously served on the Cliffside Park Board of Education and the borough Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Political Career

Cliffside Park Board of Education (pre-2018)

Cliffside Park Zoning Board of Adjustment (pre-2018)

New Jersey General Assemblyman, District 36 (2018–present)

Deputy Whip, New Jersey General Assembly (2022–2026)

Deputy Speaker, New Jersey General Assembly (2026–present)

Key Policy Areas

Transportation infrastructure and independent authorities

Tourism, gaming, and arts development

Real estate and housing development

Telecommunications and utilities regulation

Environmental policy and solid waste management

State oversight and federal relations

Notable Actions / Initiatives

Authored legislation requiring display of identifying information on the rear of school buses to enable public reporting of driver misconduct (A4031, signed into law 2019)

Sponsored legislation applying Meadowlands regional hotel use assessments to all participating municipalities in the tax-sharing program (A4229, signed into law 2019)

Authored bill directing the Department of Agriculture to establish a public awareness campaign for food waste reduction (A4707, signed into law 2020)

Education

M.S., Real Estate, New York University (Stern School of Business)

B.S., Finance and Management, Saint Joseph's University (Philadelphia)

Diploma, Don Bosco Preparatory High School (2004)

Personal

Birth date: March 4, 1986

Residence: Cliffside Park, Bergen County, New Jersey