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About
Gregory Weldon Meeks is an American attorney and politician who has served as the U.S. Representative for New York's 5th congressional district since 1998. A member of the Democratic Party, he represents a district in southeastern Queens that includes Jamaica, Laurelton, and Rosedale. Meeks previously served in the New York State Assembly from 1993 to 1998. He chaired the House Committee on Foreign Affairs from 2021 to 2023 and currently serves as its ranking member. Additionally, he chairs the Queens County Democratic Party and is set to become the dean of New York's House delegation in 2026 following the retirements of Jerry Nadler and Nydia Velázquez.
Born in Harlem, Meeks earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Adelphi University and a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law. He is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Early in his career, Meeks worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Queens County, a prosecutor for a special anti-narcotics taskforce in New York City, and as chief administrative judge for New York's workers' compensation system. From 1982, he also served as assistant counsel to the New York State Investigations Commission, focusing on official misconduct and organized crime infiltration into state government.
Meeks is married to Simone-Marie Meeks and has three daughters: Ebony, Aja, and Nia. He is an active member of the Allen AME Church in St. Albans, New York. Throughout his political career, Meeks has been involved in foreign affairs, financial services, and issues affecting minority communities, drawing on his legal background and community ties in Queens.
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