Updates

Garden State Equality Action Fund 2023 Election Endorsements

Text: "Garden State Equality Action Fund 2023 Endorsements." Underneath is stylized headshots of eight of the candidates being endorsed this year.

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,” said Garden State Equality Action Fund Executive Director Christian Fuscarino.

The full list of endorsed candidates can be found below.


Assembly Endorsements

LD – 1
Damita White-Morris

LD – 2
Assemblyman Don Guardian

LD – 3
Heather Simmons
Dave Bailey

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
Mitchelle Drulis

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
John Burzichelli

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
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

Terrance Benson Sr. — Township Committee — Lumberton, Burlington 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
Wendi Glassman — Board of Education — Asbury Park, Monmouth County
Giuseppe Grillo — Board of Education — Asbury Park, Monmouth County
Anthony Remy — Board of Education — Asbury Park, Monmouth County
Kym Hoffman — Board of Education — Neptune, Monmouth County
Pamela Renee — City Council — Neptune, Monmouth County
Lori Hohenleitner — Mayor — Atlantic Highlands, Monmouth County
Alyson Forbes — Town Council — Atlantic Highlands, 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


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.

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