Gregory Meeks: Career Timeline
Gregory Meeks has built a career spanning law, the judiciary, state government, and the United States Congress. His trajectory moved from public housing in East Harlem to nearly three decades of service in the House of Representatives, where he has risen to chair both a major congressional committee and the Queens County Democratic Party .
Legal and Judicial Career (1978-1992)
1978-1983: Meeks began his professional career as an Assistant District Attorney in Queens County, New York, where he specialized in narcotics prosecutions .
Early 1980s: He served as a prosecutor for the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York, continuing his focus on anti-narcotics enforcement .
1984-1985: Meeks joined the New York State Investigations Commission as deputy counsel, working on cases involving corruption, fraud, and official misconduct within government agencies .
1985-1992: He was appointed Supervising Judge for the New York State Workers' Compensation Board, an administrative judicial role he held for seven years .
New York State Assembly (1992-1998)
1991: Meeks ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the New York City Council, his first attempt at elected office .
November 1992: He was elected to the New York State Assembly, representing the 31st Assembly District in southeastern Queens. He defeated primary challenger Hulbert James to secure the Democratic nomination in the heavily Democratic district .
1993-1998: During his tenure in the Assembly, Meeks prioritized local economic development, supporting initiatives for commercial revitalization, housing projects, and small business growth in Queens .
1994 and 1996: He won re-election to the Assembly with minimal opposition .
U.S. House of Representatives (1998-Present)
February 3, 1998: Meeks won a special election for New York's 6th Congressional District, filling the seat vacated by the resignation of Representative Floyd Flake, who left Congress to lead the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral. Flake endorsed Meeks as his successor. Meeks captured approximately 56 percent of the vote in a five-way contest, defeating Republican Edward Schumer and several other candidates .
1998-2012: Meeks won re-election repeatedly in the heavily Democratic district, often running without significant opposition . In 2004, he served as a national co-chair of the Kerry-Edwards presidential campaign .
2012: Following redistricting, Meeks's seat was redesignated as New York's 5th Congressional District. He won a contested Democratic primary against several challengers, including hip-hop artist and attorney Mike Scala, and was re-elected in the general election with approximately 90 percent of the vote .
2019 (March 11): Meeks was unanimously elected chairman of the Queens County Democratic Party by district leaders, succeeding former Representative Joseph Crowley, who had stepped down after losing his 2018 congressional race to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez . The role gave Meeks influence over judicial nominations, candidate endorsements, and the broader political agenda for Democrats in Queens .
December 3, 2020: Meeks defeated Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas in a House Democratic Caucus vote, 148 to 78, to become chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for the 117th Congress. He was the first Black member of Congress to chair that committee .
2021-2023 (117th Congress): As chairman, Meeks oversaw the committee's work during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, conducted oversight hearings on the withdrawal, and managed the committee's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine .
2023-Present (118th and 119th Congresses): With Democrats in the minority, Meeks transitioned to the role of Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a position he continues to hold .
2025-2026 (119th Congress): Meeks introduced the Ukraine Support Act and led a bipartisan discharge petition that secured all 218 signatures needed to force a House floor vote on the measure in May 2026 13. He also introduced the BIS Licensing Efficiency Act and the End Russian Oil Windfalls Act 14. He is set to become the dean of New York's House delegation upon the retirements of Representatives Jerry Nadler and Nydia Velazquez .