NEWARK, NJ: The New Jersey Citizen Action Political Action Committee (NJCA PAC) today announced its endorsed candidates for the fall 2025 New Jersey Assembly elections. With multiple threats to democratic institutions and civil discourse and an increasing lack of government transparency and accountability at both the federal and state level, NJCA PAC has prioritized candidates’ commitment to defending the state’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA). All the incumbents endorsed voted against the rollback of the OPRA law and support strengthening the law. All the challengers endorsed opposed the rollbacks and support strengthening the law.

The endorsed candidates are as follows:

OPRA, a cornerstone of government transparency in New Jersey, was severely weakened by the passage of S-2930/A-4045 despite overwhelming opposition from hundreds of advocacy groups, media organizations, legal experts, and state residents. These changes to OPRA have a chilling effect on public access, most notably by allowing government agencies to sue requestors they accuse of interfering with government operations; requiring an unrealistic level of specificity when making requests; and gutting the fee-shifting provisions, which makes it harder for nonprofits, journalists, and everyday citizens to legally challenge denials and hold government accountable.

“The people of New Jersey have sent a clear message: transparency and accountability aren’t negotiable,” said NJCA Executive Director, Dena Mottola Jaborska. “Our recommendations focus on candidates who opposed weakening OPRA or challenged those who supported that legislation.

“We face increasing threats to democracy at every level, the proliferation of misinformation on online platforms, and efforts to make government less accountable to the public. It's more urgent than ever to defend the rights of citizens to access government records and information. NJCA urges voters to join us in electing candidates that will champion efforts to restore and strengthen OPRA protections, and ensure New Jersey remains a leader in government transparency and accountability."

New Jersey Citizen Action is a statewide advocacy and empowerment organization that fights for social, racial and economic justice for all.