TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) has been actively involved in supporting pro-public education candidates in the upcoming November legislative elections. Just this week, NJEA’s members endorsed 35 more candidates – 25 Democrats and 10 Republicans, boosting the total endorsements to 96. These numbers also feature a “your choice” endorsement in LD21, where both a Republican and a Democrat were chosen for one of the open Assembly seats. Additional endorsements might be considered later in the election cycle.
The Endorsement Process
Endorsements were decided through a vote by NJEA’s 125-member political action committee (NJEA PAC). Candidates were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their public education and labor priorities and attend a screening with their local screening committee, made up of NJEA members from their district. This committee represents the diversity of NJEA’s membership.
The screening committees then made recommendations to the full NJEA PAC, which voted on these recommendations.
Candidates Endorsed This Week
The candidates endorsed this week, categorized by Legislative District, are as follows:
LD 2: Vincent J. Polistina (R) for Senate and Donald A. Guardian (R) for Assembly
LD 4: Paul D. Moriarty (D) for Senate and Cody Miller (D) and Dan Hutchison (D) for Assembly
LD 5: Nilsa I. Cruz-Perez (D) for Senate and William W. Spearman (D) and William F. Moen, Jr. (D) for Assembly
LD 6: James Beach (D) for Senate and Pamela R. Lampitt (D) and Louis D. Greenwald (D) for Assembly
LD 7: Troy Singleton (D) for Senate and Herb Conaway, Jr. (D) and Carol A. Murphy (D) for Assembly
LD 8: Latham Tiver (R) for Senate and Anthony Angelozzi (D) and Brandon E. Umba (R) for Assembly
LD 9: Brian E. Rumpf (R) for Assembly
LD 10: Emma Mammano (D) for Assembly
LD 13: Paul Eschelbach (D) for Assembly
LD 14: Linda R. Greenstein (D) for Senate and Wayne P. DeAngelo (D) and Tennille McCoy (D) for Assembly
LD 15: Shirley K. Turner (D) for Senate and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D) and
Anthony S. Verrelli (D) for Assembly
LD 21: Jon M. Bramnick (R) for Senate and Michele Matsikoudis (R) for Assembly; Elizabeth Graner (D) and Nancy F. Munoz (R) are Your Choice candidates for Assembly.
LD 25: Anthony M. Bucco (R) for Sente and Aura K. Dunn (R) for Assembly
LD 28: Renee C. Burgess (D) for Senate and Cleopatra G. Tucker (D) and Garnet R. Hall (D) for Assembly
NJEA’s Commitment to Education
NJEA’s officers, President Sean M. Spiller, Vice President Steve Beatty, and Secretary-Treasurer, Petal Robertson, have reiterated their pride in the bipartisan group of pro-public education candidates endorsed for this November’s election.
These candidates have engaged in meaningful dialogue with NJEA members, demonstrating respect for educators and committing to strengthen the profession, support students, and keep New Jersey schools at the forefront of excellence.
NJEA acknowledges that there may be disagreements on certain issues but affirms a shared commitment to providing quality education to all students.
Moving Forward
Endorsements are just the first step in NJEA’s campaign. Members are committed to actively supporting these public education advocates through various means including phone calls, door-knocking, and personal networking. Most importantly, they are devoted to voting for them.
The goal is to elect a pro-public education majority in the New Jersey Legislature, a necessary step towards sustaining progress and addressing the challenges faced in the education sector.
With these endorsements, NJEA sends a clear message about the importance of education in the Garden State and demonstrates a steadfast commitment to fostering a positive environment for students, teachers, and families. The November elections are pivotal, and the choices made will shape the future of education in New Jersey for years to come.