Senator Vincent J. Hughes is a leading progressive voice on local, state, and national issues. His colleagues elected him to be the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee in 2010 and he continues to bring proactive leadership to that role.

Sen. Hughes has served the commonwealth as a member of the Pennsylvania Senate for more than 20 years. He was first elected to represent the 7th Senatorial District in 1994, previously serving as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1987 to 1994. During that time, he was the chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus from 1991 to 1994.

As a key member of the Senate’s Democratic leadership team, Sen. Hughes is a champion for major policy issues such as expanding healthcare for low-income workers, raising the minimum wage, defending the right to vote, fighting for increased funding for public education, and rebuilding the state’s distressed communities. As Democratic Chairman of Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Hughes holds a major role in developing Pennsylvania’s annual budget of more than $32 billion, carefully guiding the state’s spending priorities.