| 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. |
| Died | December 31, 2020(2020-12-31) (aged 85) Henderson, Nevada, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Estelle DeConge |
| Education | Southern 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
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.
Political career
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.
Personal life and death
Neal married Estelle Ann DeConge in 1965 and together, they had 5 children: Charisse, Tania, Withania, Dina Amelia, and Joseph. 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.
Neal died on December 31, 2020, after a long illness. He was 85 years old.
References
- http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Division/Research/LegInfo/OHP/transcripts/Neal.pdf
- "Biography of Senator Neal". Archived from the original on 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2014-10-19.
- "Joseph (Joe) M. Neal Jr".
- Legislative Biography -- 71st (2001) Session
- "Las Vegas News | Breaking News & Headlines". 25 May 2023.
- "Joe Neal, Nevada's first Black state senator dies". Archived from the original on 2021-01-29. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byJan Jones | Democratic nominee for Governor of Nevada 2002 |
Succeeded byDina Titus |
  | This article about a Nevada politician is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- 1935 births
- 2020 deaths
- 20th-century African-American politicians
- 21st-century African-American politicians
- African-American state legislators in Nevada
- Military personnel from Louisiana
- Democratic Party Nevada state senators
- People from Madison Parish, Louisiana
- Southern University alumni
- 20th-century members of the Nevada Legislature
- 21st-century members of the Nevada Legislature
- Nevada politician stubs