| Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status |
|
| Seat | Trenton, New Jersey |
| Term length | Two years, renewable |
| Constituting instrument | New Jersey Constitution of 1947 (current) Proprietary Charter of New Jersey (initial) |
| Inaugural holder | Thomas Gardiner |
| Formation | March 31, 1664 |
| Deputy | Deputy Speaker |
| Website | www |
The speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly, commonly known as the speaker of the Assembly or Assembly speaker, is presiding officer of the New Jersey General Assembly, the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. The speaker is elected by the membership of the chamber. After the lieutenant governor and president of the New Jersey Senate, the speaker of the Assembly is third in the line of succession to replace the governor of New Jersey in the event that the governor is unable to execute the duties of that office.
The speaker generally determines the legislative agenda of the Assembly through his or her power to determine the schedule of votes, to determine which bills will be brought for consideration, and to appoint the chairs of Assembly committees.
The current speaker is Craig Coughlin of Woodbridge Township. Coughlin is the longest-serving speaker in the history of the office, having been in office since January 9, 2018. Under the 1844 state constitution, most speakers served only for a single session of the Assembly.
The first female speaker of the Assembly was Marion West Higgins, who served in 1965.
