Garden State Equality Action Fund released its list of endorsed candidates for the upcoming 2022 elections.

“Each election cycle, we endorse candidates based on their support for our mission of lifting up the diverse voices of LGBTQ+ communities to advance the movement for equality in New Jersey,” said Garden State Equality Action Fund Board Chair Jeannine Frisby LaRue. “On behalf of our 150,000 members across the state, we are proud to support these candidates in the 2022 elections and look forward to working with them.”

“Our endorsement process involves carefully considering what candidates will do to help marginalized communities across our state, particularly in Garden State Equality’s program focus areas of healthcare and education,” said Garden State Equality Action Fund Executive Director Christian Fuscarino. “We endorse elected leaders who share our commitment to ensuring that members of New Jersey’s LGBTQ+ community experience both legal and lived equality.”

The full list of endorsed candidates can be found below.

Federal:
CD 1 – Donald Norcross
CD 2 – Tim Alexander
CD 3 – Andy Kim
CD 4 – Pam Daniels (Garden State Equality Action Fund has chosen Pam Daniels, an openly transgender woman running for Congress, to receive this endorsement over a close tie with Matt Jenkins (D) who would also be an exceptional selection over anti-LGBTQ Chris Smith)
CD 5 – Josh Gottheimer
CD 6 – Frank Pallone
CD 7 – Tom Malinowski
CD 8 – Robert Menendez, Jr.
CD 9 – Bill Pascrell
CD 10 – Donald Payne, Jr.
CD 11 – Mikie Sherrill
CD 12 – Bonnie Watson Coleman

County:
Mary Amoroso, Bergen County Commissioner
Thomas Arnone, Monmouth County Commissioner
Donald Becker, Hunterdon County Commissioner
Hope Cohen, Hunterdon County Commissioner
Kristal Dias, Monmouth County Commissioner
Camila DiResta, Sussex County Commissioner
Julia Hankerson, Cape May County Commissioner
Cathleen Lewis, Mercer County Commissioner
Damaris Lira, Sussex County Commissioner
Melonie Marano, Somerset County Commissioner
Thomas “T.C.” McCourt, Morris County Commissioner
Nina D Melker, Mercer County Commissioner
Germaine Ortiz, Bergen County Commissioner
Steve Peter, Somerset County Clerk
Thomas J. Sullivan, Bergen County Commissioner
James J. Tedesco III, Bergen County Executive
Rebecca Williams, Union County Commissioner

Local:
Angela Ahbez-Anderson, Asbury Park City Council
J Randy Bishop, Howell Township Councilman
Heather Cooper, Evesham Township Council
Betsy Driver, Mayor of Flemington
Crystal Feliciano, Trenton City Council
Teska T. Frisby, West Ward Trenton City Council
Reed Gusciora, Trenton Mayor
Patricia Hansen, Evesham Township Council
John Kashwick, Clinton City Council
Kadja Manuel, Trenton City Council
Steven McIntyre, North Plainfield Council
E Anthony (Tony) Parker, Flemington Municipal Council
William Portman, Red Bank Mayor
Steven Russell, Matawan Borough Council
Jaclyn Veasy, Evesham Mayor
Jennifer Williams, Trenton City Council

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.

LGBTQ+ Candidates:
Randy Bishop, Howell Township Council
Maria Chacon, Dover Board of Education
Hope Cohen, Hunterdon County Commissioner
Pam Daniels, U.S. House of Representatives
Wartyna Davis, Bloomfield Council
Betsy Driver, Mayor of Flemington
Joe Forte, Lawrence Council
Mateo Garcia, Somerville School Board
Reed Gusciora, Trenton Mayor
Julia Hankerson, Cape May County Commissioner
Patricia Hansen, Evesham Township Council
Lauren Herman, Waldwick Council
John Jackson, Red Bank Council
John Kashwick, Clinton City Council
Steven McIntyre, North Plainfield Council
Kadja Manuel, Trenton City Council
Toby Murphy, Hawthorne Board of Education
Erynn Murray, Hillsborough Council
Tony Parker, Flemington Town Council
Michael Penna, PhD, Asbury Park Board of Education
Rich Rockwell, Bloomfield Council
Sonia Ron, Washington Borough Council
Steven Russell, Matawan Council
Rebecca Williams, Union County Commissioner