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Joe Neal (politician)

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Joe Neal
President pro tempore of the Nevada Senate
In office
1991–1991
Member of the Nevada Senate
from the 4th district
In office
1973–2004
Personal details
Born(1935-07-28)July 28, 1935
Mound, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedDecember 31, 2020(2020-12-31) (aged 85)
Henderson, Nevada, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseEstelle DeConge
EducationSouthern University (BA)

Joseph M. Neal Jr. (July 28, 1935 – December 31, 2020) was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the Nevada Senate from 1973 to 2004, making him the first African-American state senator in Nevada. He served as Minority Floor leader in 1989 and as President pro tempore in 1991.

Early life

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Born in Mound, Louisiana, he served in the United States Air Force. Neal moved to Nevada in 1964 and earned a degree in political science and history from Southern University.[1]

Political career

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Neal was inducted into the Nevada Senate Hall of Fame in 2005, a year into his retirement. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest-serving state senator in the history of the state. In 2002, Neal ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Nevada.[2][3]

Personal life and death

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Neal married Estelle Ann DeConge in 1965 and together, they had 5 children: Charisse, Tania, Withania, Dina Amelia, and Joseph.[4] Estelle died of breast cancer in 1997. Dina Neal served as a member of the Nevada Assembly from 2010 to 2020, when she took her father's former seat in the Nevada Senate.[5]

Neal died on December 31, 2020, after a long illness. He was 85 years old.[6]

References

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  1. ^ http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Division/Research/LegInfo/OHP/transcripts/Neal.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  2. ^ "Biography of Senator Neal". Archived from the original on 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2014-10-19.
  3. ^ "Joseph (Joe) M. Neal Jr".
  4. ^ Legislative Biography -- 71st (2001) Session
  5. ^ "Las Vegas News | Breaking News & Headlines". 25 May 2023.
  6. ^ Joe Neal, Nevada’s first Black state senator dies
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Nevada
2002
Succeeded by