ASBURY PARK, NJ — Today, the Garden State Equality Action Fund announced its 2024 local endorsements, providing guidance and mobilizing its 150,000 members ahead of mail-in voting. As New Jersey’s leading LGBTQ+ advocacy organization for over 20 years, we endorse candidates across the political spectrum who demonstrate a strong commitment to uplifting the voices of the LGBTQ+ community through education, advocacy, and a steadfast dedication to equality in New Jersey and nationwide. This year, protecting LGBTQ+ youth is our top priority in response to escalating political attacks from well-funded national campaigns.
“Alongside the federal endorsements released earlier this month, this is Garden State Equality’s largest endorsement slate to date,” said Director of Advocacy & Organizing Lauren Albrecht (she/her). “Increasingly, we have come to understand the importance of supporting pro-equality candidates at all levels of government; public servants who demonstrate a commitment to creating change on the most cellular level are often the most critical agents of change for the LGBTQ+ community.”
The following local candidates receive Garden State Equality Action Fund’s Endorsement:
BERGEN
Kristian Rasmussen and Lisa Bontemps for Westwood Borough Council
Tracy Zur and Steven Tanelli for Bergen County Commissioner
Jennifer Harris, Leila Amirhamzeh and Eugina Gilmore for Hackensack Board of Education
BURLINGTON
Jason Fajgier, Casey Carty and Bjana Swinson for Mount Holly Council
Eric Holliday for Bordentown Council
Susan Mammarella, James Barry and Christopher Keating for Moorestown Council
Samantha Loveman for Hainesport Council
Felicia Hopson and Tyler Burrell for Burlington County Commissioner
ESSEX
Monica Charris Tabares for Bloomfield Council-at-Large
Jenny Mundell for Bloomfield Mayor
Tammy Williams for West Orange Council
Arun Vadlamani, Bethany Joseph and Qawi Telesford for South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education
Nicholas Scotti for Nutley Board of Education
Amir Jones for Essex County Sheriff
GLOUCESTER
Jo Miller for Woodbury Council, 1st Ward
MERCER
Jennifer Williams for Trenton City Council, North Ward
Teska Frisby for Trenton City Council, West Ward
Mark Freda for Princeton Mayor
Terrance Stokes, Samuel Frisby and Kristin McLaughlin for Mercer County Commissioner
Ari Meisel and Chris Santarpio for Princeton Board of Education
MIDDLESEX
Ron Rios and Shanti Narra for Middlesex County Commissioner
MONMOUTH*
Eileen Chapman, Yvonne Clayton and Amy Quinn for Asbury Park Council**
Jose Pujols and Brian Dougherty for Atlantic Highlands Council
Michael ‘Mike’ Morris for Middletown Council
Kimberly Karalovich for Neptune City Council
Nikki Darling for Allentown Council
Derel Stroud for Neptune Township Committee
Danielle Mastropiero for Monmouth County Commissioner
*We appreciate all applicants for Asbury Park Board of Education and have determined that for the purposes of our endorsement, all applicants will equally serve our students well, and thus no endorsement is issued. We urge all voters to engage with candidates to determine who deserves your vote.
**While the opposing slate is composed of all LGBTQ+ individuals, which is valuable for representation, the current slate of incumbents has demonstrated a strong, proven commitment to LGBTQ+ issues. The scoring in our policy favors incumbents with a track record of advancing equality, despite the challenging slate answering the questions satisfactory.
MORRIS
Ben Weisman for Boonton Council
Janice Bakera for Jefferson Township Council
Justin Strickland, William ‘Bud” Ravitz and Jonathan Sackett for Morris County Commissioner
Karol Ruiz for Dover Township Councilmember
TC McCourt for Dover Board of Education Board
OCEAN
Zachary Dougherty for Toms River Council, 2nd Ward
SOMERSET
Frank ‘Skip’ Stabile and Aimee Corzo for North Plainfield Council
Sara Sooy and Shanel Y. Robinson for Somerset County Commissioner
SUSSEX
Jason Boehm for Sussex County Commissioner
UNION
Danni Newbury for Rahway City Council, 5th Ward
Kimberly Palmer Mouded, Alexander Mirabella and James E. Baker Jr for Union County Commissioner
Leslie Rippon for Rahway Board of Education
WARREN
Christopher Bauknight for Washington Borough Council
Openly LGBTQ+ Candidates for Local Office
Garden State Equality Action Fund believes that it has a responsibility to share with our members a list of self-disclosed LGBTQ+ candidates, whether or not they received an endorsement. We encourage our members to support all LGBTQ+ candidates who support our community.
Kim Karovolich — Neptune City Councilmember, Monmouth County
Bethany Joseph — Board of Education Member, Maplewood, Essex County
Chris Santarpio — Board of Education Member, Princeton, Mercer County
Danni Newbury — Town Council Councilmember, Rahway, Union County
Nicholas Scotti — Board of Education Member, Nutley
Jo Miller — Township Member, Woodbury, Gloucester County
Amy Quinn — Deputy Mayor, Asbury Park, Monmouth County
John Loffredo —Asbury Park Council, Monmouth County
Garret Giberson —Asbury Park Council, Monmouth County
Jill Potter — Asbury Park Council, Monmouth County
Karol Ruiz — Township Councilmember, Dover, Morris County
TC McCourt — Board of Education Member, Dover, Morris County
Greg Siciliano — Board of Education Member, Keansburg, Monmouth County
Andrew Nowick — Mayor, Lambertville, Hunterdon County
Lauren Herman — Councilmember, Waldwick, Bergen County
Benjamin Taylor — Representative, Congressional District 9
*We appreciate all applicants for Asbury Park Board of Education and have determined that for the purposes of our endorsement, all applicants will equally serve our students well, and thus no endorsement is issued. We urge all voters to engage with candidates to determine who deserves your vote.
