Congressman Donald Norcross, 1st District of New Jersey
Born and raised in South Jersey, Donald is an electrician by trade and a proud union member. In Congress, he is committed to improving the lives of working families by focusing on the issues that matter most to them: raising wages and strengthening our economy, ensuring affordable access to a high-quality education, and supporting the brave men and women that protect our nation and our neighborhoods.
He knows firsthand what it’s like to be a single parent having to balance work, family life and a checkbook. Donald began his career working for minimum wage, and his on-the-job experiences shape his work in Congress. Donald has been a fierce advocate for raising wages for workers, leading the House of Representatives to pass legislation that would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025.
When construction work was slow or he was injured on the job, he was thankful for unemployment and disability insurance and knows what it is like to rely on these important resources. Since then, Donald has fought to lower prescription drug prices and ensure that everyone has access to affordable, quality healthcare, so that no one is forced to choose between putting dinner on the table or taking their medication.
Donald spent his career as an electrician connecting power to New Jersey businesses and industrial sites. He rose through the ranks and eventually became a business agent for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 351, as well as President of the Southern New Jersey AFL-CIO, where he advocated on behalf of thousands of hardworking men and women for nearly 20 years.
As a graduate of both Camden County College and a Registered Apprenticeship program, Donald knows we need to advance job-training programs in America, and he also understands the value of a good education that doesn’t break the bank. As a former apprentice himself, Donald led the House in passing the National Apprenticeship Act, expanding access to skills training and connecting workers with stable, good-paying jobs. As a member of the New Jersey Legislature, he played a key role in historic higher education reforms that established New Jersey as a medical education and research hub.
As a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, Donald is working to raise wages, protect the middle class, strengthen workplace protections and achieve equal pay and paid leave for those raising families. He also serves on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and chairs HASC’s Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces (TAL). Here, he focuses on protecting our national security, supporting service members and veterans and strengthening New Jersey’s Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, which is set to receive a new fleet of KC-46 air refueling tankers – an effort pushed for by Donald. He also serves on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, where he promotes research and development of clean energy technologies to fight for climate justice and create good-paying jobs.
Donald serves as the Vice Chair and Liaison to Labor for the Congressional Progressive Caucus. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has appointed him to be the Parliamentarian for the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, and he was one of four House Democrats appointed to the Joint Select Committee on Multiemployer Pensions to work on solutions for America’s retirement security crisis. He is also the co-founder of the Labor Caucus and the Building Trades Caucus, as well as Vice-Chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Addiction Task Force.
Donald and his wife Andrea live in Camden City and are the proud parents of three adult children and grandparents of two.