Garden State Equality Action Fund announces 2023 Election Endorsements

Bipartisan list of candidates selected for their commitment to LGBTQ+ equality.

 

ASBURY PARK, NJ — Today, the Garden State Equality Action Fund announced the bipartisan list of candidates it is endorsing for the 2023 general election. Each election cycle, the Garden State Equality Action Fund endorses candidates from across the political spectrum based on their support of the organization’s mission to uplift the diverse voices of the LGBTQ+ community through education and advocacy, and to advance the movement for equality in New Jersey and nationally.

 

“On behalf of our 150,000 members, we are proud to endorse nearly five dozen candidates running in pivotal elections up and down the ballot across the Garden State. We work closely with leaders not only in the legislature but in city halls and town councils around the state to ensure lived equality for all New Jerseyans,” said Garden State Equality Action Fund Board Chair Jeannine Frisby LaRue,

 

“We’ve chosen to endorse a wide slate of candidates based on a combination of voting record, responses to our endorsement questionnaire, and the overall commitment they’ve demonstrated to serving and empowering New Jersey’s marginalized communities. We look forward to working with these candidates for office in 2023 to find more ways to ensure lived equality for every person who calls the Garden State home,” Garden State Equality Action Fund Executive Director Christian Fuscarino.

 

The full list of endorsements begins on the next page.

 

Assembly Endorsements

 

LD – 1

Damita White-Morris

 

LD – 2

Assemblyman Don Guardian

 

LD – 3

No endorsements

 

LD – 4

No endorsements

 

LD – 5

Assemblyman WIlliam Moen Assemblyman William Spearman

 

LD – 6

Assemblyman Louis Greenwald Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt

 

LD – 7

Assemblyman Herb Conaway Assemblywoman Carol Murphy

 

LD – 8

No endorsements

 

LD – 9

Joseph Atura

 

LD – 10

No endorsements

 

LD – 11

Luanne Peterpaul Margie Donlon

 

LD – 12

Raya Arbiol Paul Sarti

 

LD – 13

Paul Eschelbach Danielle Mastropiero

 

LD – 14

Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo Tennille McCoy

 

LD – 15

Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson Assemblyman Anthony Verelli

 

LD – 16

Assemblyman Roy Freiman

 

LD – 17

Assemblyman Joe Danielsen

 

LD –18

Assemblyman Sterley Stanley Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak

 

LD –19

Assemblyman Craig Coughlin Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez

 

LD – 20

Assemblyman Reginald Atkins Assemblywoman Annette Quijano

 

LD – 21

Chris Weber Elizabeth Graner

 

LD – 22

Assemblywoman Linda Carter Assemblyman James Kennedy

 

LD – 23

Guy Citron Tyler Powell

 

LD – 24

Bharamdai Sharma

 

LD – 25

Jon Torres Diane Salvatore

 

LD – 26

No endorsements

 

LD – 27

Rosy Bagoli

 

LD – 28

Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker Garnet Hall

 

LD – 29

Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor-Marin Assemblywoman Shanique Speight

 

LD – 30

No endorsements

 

LD – 31

Assemblywoman Angela McKnight Assemblyman William Sampson IV

 

LD – 32

John Allen Jessica Ramirez

 

LD – 33

No endorsements

 

LD – 34

No endorsements

 

LD – 35

Assemblyman Benjie Wimberley Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter

 

LD – 36

Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese Assemblyman Gary Schaer

 

LD – 37

Assemblywoman Ellen Park Assemblywoman Shaima Haider

 

LD – 38

Assemblywoman Lisa Swain Assemblyman Chris Tully

 

LD – 39

No endorsements

 

LD – 40

Giovanna Irizarry Jennifer Marrinan

Senate Endorsements LD – 1

No endorsements

 

LD – 2

Caren Fitzpatrick

 

LD – 3

No endorsements

 

LD – 4

Assemblyman Paul Moriarty

 

LD – 5

Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez

 

LD – 6

Senator James Beach

 

LD – 7

Senator Troy Singleton

 

LD – 8

Gaye Burton

 

LD – 9

Gabriel Franco

 

LD – 10

No endorsements

 

LD – 11

Senator Vin Gopal

 

LD – 12

Brandon Rose

 

LD – 13

Senator Declan O’Scanlon

 

LD – 14

Senator Linda Greenstein

 

LD – 15

Senator Shirley Turner

 

LD – 16

Senator Andrew Zwicker

 

LD – 17

Senator Bob Smith

 

LD – 18

Senator Patrick Diegnan

 

LD – 19

Senator Joe Vitale

 

LD – 20

Senator Joe Cryan

 

LD – 21

Matt Marino

 

LD – 22

Senator Nick Scutari

 

LD – 23

Denise King

 

LD – 24

No endorsements

 

LD – 25

Christine Clarke

 

LD – 26

No endorsements

 

LD – 27

Assemblyman John McKeon

 

LD – 28

Senator Renee Burgess

 

LD – 29

Senator Teresa Ruiz

 

LD – 30

No endorsements

 

LD – 31

Senator Sandra Cunningham

 

LD – 32

Assemblyman Raj Mukherji

 

LD – 33

Senator Brian Stack

 

LD – 34

Assemblywoman Britnee Timberlake

 

LD – 35

Senator Nellie Pou

 

LD – 36

Senator Paul Sarlo

 

LD – 37

Senator Gordon Johnson

 

LD – 38

Senator Joe Lagana

 

LD – 39

No endorsements

 

LD – 40

Jennifer Ehrentraut

 

Local Elections

 

Robert Gancitano — Town Council — Galloway, Atlantic County Chris Hillmann — Mayor — Hasbrouck Heights, Bergen County

Joeigh Perella — County Commissioner — Cumberland County John Capizola — County Commissioner — Cumberland County Robert Austino — Sheriff — Cumberland County

Kim Stentz — Town Council — Clinton, Hunterdon County Daniel Benson — County Executive — Mercer County

Ben Finkelstein — Councilmember — West Windsor Township, Mercer County

Stacey Fox — Councilmember — West Windsor Township, Mercer County Dan Weiss — Town Council — West Windsor Township, Mercer County

 

Ross Licitra — County Commissioner — Monmouth County Alison DeNoia — County Commissioner — Monmouth County

 

Jonathan Sackett — County Commissioner — Morris County

John Kashwick — Town Council — Clinton Township, Morris County

 

Douglas Singleterry — County Commissioner — Somerset County

Ashley Neuman — Town Council — Borough of Manville, Somerset County Christine Sokoloski — Town Council — Borough of Manville, Somerset County

 

 

Openly LGBTQ+ candidates

 

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.

 

Robert Gancitano — Town Council — Galloway, Atlantic County Don Guardian — Assemblymember — LD 2, Atlantic County

 

Lauren Herman — Town Council — Waldwick, Bergen County

Chris Hillmann — Town Council — Hasbrouck, Heights Bergen County Diane Scarangella — Town Council — Leonia, Bergen County

 

Richard Rosen — Board of Education — Voorhees, Camden County Paul Eschelbach — Assemblymember — LD 13, Camden County Jason Friel — Board of Education — Bellmawr, Camden County

 

Dr. Joeiegh Perella — County Commission — Cumberland County Dean Dafis — Town Council — Maplewood, Essex County

Jo Miller — Councilmember — Woodbury, Gloucester County

 

Gerald Lyons — Board of Education — Jersey City, Hudson County John Kashwick — Council — Clinton, Hunterdon County

 

Daniel Weiss — Council — West Windsor, Mercer County

 

Gerard Dalton — Board of Education — Ocean Township, Monmouth County Luanne Peterpaul — Assemblymember — LD 11, Monmouth County

Pamela Renee — City Council — Neptune City, Monmouth County

 

Len Resto — Borough Council — Chatham Borough, Morris County Diane Salvatore — Assemblymember — LD 25, Morris County

 

Raya Arbiol — Assemblymember — LD 12, Ocean County Ron Naples — Council — Barnegat, Ocean County

 

Bruce James — County Board of Commissioners — Passaic County

 

Matthew Cavallo Councilmember — Wayne, Passaic County

 

Caryl (Chris) Shoffner Town Council — South Bound Brook, Somerset County Sean Mckenna Town Council Plainfield — Union County

 

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Garden State Equality, the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in New Jersey, lifts up the diverse voices of LGBTQ+ communities through education and advocacy to advance the movement for equality in New Jersey and nationally.