Overview

Ellen J. Park is a Democratic member of the New Jersey General Assembly, representing the 37th Legislative District, which includes Fort Lee, Hackensack, Palisades Park, and Teaneck, since January 11, 2022. She is the first Korean American woman and the first East Asian woman elected to the New Jersey Legislature. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Park immigrated to the United States at age six and was raised in the Sunnyside and Flushing neighborhoods of Queens, New York, where her parents operated a flower shop. She moved to New Jersey with her family when her sons were young, settling in Englewood Cliffs. A graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, she earned a degree in political science from New York University and a Juris Doctor from Hofstra University Maurice A. Deane School of Law. Prior to her Assembly service, she served on the Englewood Cliffs Borough Council from 2016 to 2018. She and her husband, Richard Ma, are attorneys practicing together, assisting small businesses and underserved communities with criminal defense and landlord-tenant matters.

Political Career

New Jersey General Assemblywoman, District 37 (2022–present)

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

Parliamentarian, New Jersey General Assembly (2024–present)

Chair, Assembly Judiciary Committee (2024–present)

Vice-Chair, Assembly Budget Committee (2024–present)

Member, Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee (2024–present)

Englewood Cliffs Borough Council (2016–2018)

Key Policy Areas

Gun violence prevention and firearm regulation

Judicial and criminal justice reform

State budget and fiscal oversight

Immigration and tenant protections

Asian American and Pacific Islander community representation

Education and early childhood development

Notable Actions / Initiatives

Primary sponsor of A-4769 (2022), which became the "strongest gun violence prevention law in the country" upon signing by Governor Murphy, strengthening firearm regulations in the wake of increased anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee since January 2024; oversees legislation related to the court system, criminal law, and judicial administration

Served as one of New Jersey's 14 Democratic presidential electors in the 2024 Electoral College, casting the state's electoral votes for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz

Authored legislation requiring human trafficking awareness signage to include Chinese and Korean language text, addressing linguistic accessibility for vulnerable populations in immigrant communities

Prime sponsor of legislation replacing statutory references to "alien" and "illegal alien" with "foreign national" and "undocumented foreign national" to modernize state immigration terminology

Authored bills recognizing the Asian American community's contributions to New Jersey, including legislation honoring Korean veterans of the Vietnam War, establishing November 22 as annual Kimchi Day, designating Lunar New Year as a state-recognized holiday, and commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice

Sponsored legislation prohibiting landlord retaliation and eviction based on tenant immigration or citizenship status

Education

J.D., Maurice A. Deane School of Law, Hofstra University (1999)

B.A., Political Science, New York University (1994)

Diploma, The Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, New York (1989)

Personal

Birth date: March 6, 1972

Residence: Englewood Cliffs, Bergen County, New Jersey