NJEA’s members this week endorsed 41 candidates – 34 Democrats and 7 Republicans – for November’s legislative elections, bringing the union’s total number of endorsements so far to 61. Additional endorsements will be considered later this summer.

NJEA’s officers, President Sean M. Spiller, Vice President Steve Beatty and Secretary-Treasurer, Petal Robertson, released this statement:

“We are proud that our members have endorsed a bipartisan group of pro-public education candidates for this November’s election. These candidates have taken the time to meet with our members and discuss the issues that matter most to educators and New Jersey families. They demonstrated that they respect the role educators play and we believe they will work with us to strengthen our profession, support our students and keep our schools the best in the nation.

“Even where the members who made these endorsements don’t agree with every candidate on every issue, we all agree that our students deserve a great education and we commit to working together to achieve that.

“We also know that an endorsement is just the first step. Our members are also committed to supporting these endorsed advocates of public education by making phone calls, knocking on doors, speaking to friends and colleagues and, most importantly, by voting for them. We are determined to once again elect a pro-public education majority in the New Jersey Legislature so we can continue to progress we are making and address the challenges we face.”

The candidates endorsed this week are:

• LD 1: Erik Simonsen (R) for Assembly
• LD 3: John J. Burzichelli (D) for Senate and Heather Simmons (D) and Dave Bailey (D) for Assembly
• LD 12: Robert D. Clifton (R) and Alex Sauickie (R) for Assembly
• LD 13: Victoria A. Flynn (R) for Assembly
• LD 17: Bob Smith (D) for Senate and Joseph V. Egan (D) and Joe Danielsen for Assembly
• LD 18: Robert J. Karabinchak (D) and Sterley S. Stanley (D) for Assembly
• LD 19 Craig J. Coughlin (D) and Yvonne Lopez (D) for Assembly
• LD 20: Joseph P. Cryan (D) for Senate and Annette Quijano (D) and Reginald W. Atkins (D) for Assembly
• LD 22: Nicholas P. Scutari (D) for Senate and Linda S. Carter (D) and James J. Kennedy (D) for Assembly
• LD 27: Richard J. Codey (D) for Senate and John F. McKeon (D) and Alixon Collazos-Gill (D) for Assembly
• LD 34: Britnee N. Timberlake (D) for Senate and Carmen Morales (D) and Michael Venezia (D) for Assembly
• LD 35: Nellie Pou (D) for Senate and Benjie Wimberly (D) and Shavonda E. Sumter (D) for Assembly
• LD 36: Paul A. Sarlo (D) for Senate and Gary S. Schaer (D) and Clinton Calabrese (D) for Assembly
• LD 37: Gordon M. Johnson (D) for Senate and Ellen J. Park (D) and Shama A. Haider (D) for Assembly
• LD: 39 Jodi Murphy (D) for Sente and John Vitale (D) and Damon Englese (D) for Assembly
• LD:40: Kristin M. Corrado (R) for Senate and Christopher P. DePhillips (R) and Al Barlas (R) for Assembly

They are joined by 20 other candidates who were endorsed earlier this spring, prior to the June 6 primary election. All 20 of those candidates won their primary elections and remain endorsed in the general election.

Several of the endorsed candidates reacted to the news.

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (LD19): “New Jersey has the best public schools in the country, and that is in large part because of our teachers and education support professionals. No one knows better than them how critical the progress we’ve made over these past five years has been, and that we cannot afford to go back. Thank you to the New Jersey Education Association for standing up for our children, for our families, and for quality public education in our state by supporting these candidates.”

Assemblyman Alex Sauickie (LD 12): “Thank you to the NJEA for the endorsement. I look forward to working together in the best interest of the teachers, the students, and the families across the area schools.”

Assemblyman Joe Danielson (LD17): As the son of a former public-school teacher, I am honored to again receive the NJEA endorsement. The NJEA and its membership is the premier education association in our state, that daily prepares the next generation of our citizens. Today, more than ever, we must reaffirm our commitment to public education by supporting both our educators and our students. That includes providing solutions to the education shortage of staff, increased funding for schools, and investing resources to help continue to make New Jersey public schools the best in the nation. I look forward to working in collaboration with the NJEA to solve these issues and continue to strengthen our educational system.

From Sterley Stanley (LD18): “Educators are the vanguards of our State’s future and there is no better advocates for those that protect our state’s most valuable resource than the NJEA which is why I am incredibly proud to be endorsed by such passionate and prestigious advocates. Their collaboration and partnership has been vital to my success as a legislator and I look forward to all we will accomplish together in the years to come.”

Candidates seeking NJEA members’ endorsement are screened locally by a committee of NJEA members from their district and, based on the recommendations of those local committees, endorsements are made by the 125-member NJEA PAC Operating Committee, which is made up of members of both parties and representing all membership categories and all areas of the state.