We reached out to all candidates for New Jersey Governor and New Jersey Assembly asking them to share their views on how they will serve their AAPI constituents. Scroll down to see which candidates answered and read their responses.
Mikie Sherrill
(Democrat)
In Congress, I’ve worked closely with AAPI New Jersey on key issues like affordability, small businesses, and combating anti-Asian hate. As Governor, I’ll keep these priorities front and center and always ensure AAPI New Jersey has a seat at the table.
Up and down the state, I hear from New Jerseyans who are struggling to get by — and it will be my relentless focus as governor to lower costs and make life more affordable for New Jersey families. That’s why the first policy I announced during this campaign was my Affordability Agenda, to bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to address long-standing issues facing our state. From housing to health care, energy bills to property taxes, food prices to the costs of raising kids in this state, I’ll take on the tough challenges and get things done for New Jerseyans.
The backbone of the New Jersey economy is our small businesses – creating jobs, boosting local communities, and reflecting the unique character and culture of our towns. As governor, I’ll make sure the state does all it can to support new and established small businesses – including by strengthening the Small Business Action Center and streamlining business license approvals. And I’ll work with the state legislature to implement the recommendations of the New Jersey Disparity Study to ensure more Asian American and minority-owned businesses get a fair shot at state contracts.
And as governor, I will always stand against hate in all its forms – including anti-Asian hate, which has seen a significant spike in recent years. I’m a former federal prosecutor: I know what it takes to keep communities safe, and I will direct my Attorney General to swiftly prosecute acts of AAPI hate and discrimination. New Jersey is a welcoming state for friends and neighbors of diverse backgrounds and cultures, and as the actions and rhetoric from Trump and his Washington cronies grow more vile and divisive, I am committed to keeping New Jersey true to its values and safe for its residents.
Affordability is a top priority for my campaign – that’s why I recently rolled out an Affordability Agenda to outline my plan to make sure New Jersey is a state where everyone can get ahead and afford to live — regardless of ZIP code. And we can’t make New Jersey more affordable unless we make housing more affordable. That’s why I’ve proposed converting unused commercial space into housing; we can also remediate brownfields to build more housing units. We’ve seen promising examples of this redevelopment in Paterson, Harrison, and other communities, and I want to bring this success across the state. I will work to bring down costs by exploring areas where we can incentivize shared services across municipalities — and between new housing construction and streamlining services, we can bring property tax relief to families. And in order to bring more tax relief to middle-class families, I’ll expand New Jersey’s Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit. I want to drive down health care costs, including an independent audit of the State Health Benefits Program — I’m optimistic that we can save money in the state budget and put money back into the pockets of our public workforce.
Yes, I support the full implementation of both laws. I firmly believe that government should work well for the people it serves, and both of these proposals improve the interaction between New Jerseyans and their state government.
As governor, I am committed to modernizing state government and cutting through bureaucracy to make families’ lives easier. I will ensure that state agencies have a consumer-first mindset so that residents get approvals, licenses, and other services in a timely manner. Language access is a key component to achieving this goal: it’s essential to ensuring meaningful access to government services and information. And true and accurate data collection allows for appropriate planning and delivery of state aid and services. These are both commonsense proposals to address significant barriers to opportunity, and I’m grateful that AAPI New Jersey led advocacy efforts to push these bills through the state legislature.
I will remain committed to implementing these laws.
Throughout my career, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office to Congress, I have worked to build trust between communities and law enforcement. It is essential, especially with the chaos coming from the Trump administration, that we defend our communities, constitutional protections, and the law-abiding residents of this state. And that includes providing robust access to legal counsel throughout the process. In New Jersey, we know the Immigrant Trust Directive has already withstood judicial review — and that additional legislative action, if not precise, could reopen legal proceedings and put these protections at risk. At a time when the Trump administration is weaponizing law enforcement, we cannot jeopardize the legal protections afforded to residents of this state.
Nearly a quarter of our state’s population is foreign-born, and about 1 in every 7 New Jersey residents has at least one immigrant parent. Immigration helps our communities thrive and drives our state’s incredible innovation economy. As governor, I am committed to safeguarding the rights of our Constitution — including the 4th, 5th, and 14th Amendments — and I will always stand up for the residents of this state. Moreover, I’m proud of the work we’ve done to make our state a welcoming place to live. I support policies to ensure all New Jersey students have the opportunity to attend our state’s world-class universities, pay in-state tuition, and afford their college education. Additionally, I support public safety efforts to ensure that all New Jersey drivers are qualified to operate a motor vehicle on the roadways. And I support New Jersey’s Office of New Americans and the work it does to serve residents of our state — whether it’s finding employment, child care, legal representation, or state program information.
As one of the most diverse states in the nation, New Jersey must take steps to ensure that all residents have equitable access to services. To do that, we have to prioritize providing resources for establishing and supporting culturally inclusive services, including those specifically to support our state’s Asian American community, and I would be glad to work with AAPI New Jersey on this issue. From healthcare and domestic violence programs to nutrition and housing assistance, we know barriers to accessing these programs remain for Asian Americans. While we know that New Jersey is currently facing budgetary constraints, I support finding ways that we can dedicate resources to removing these barriers to access.
Hate has absolutely no home in New Jersey. In Congress, I have supported efforts to address xenophobic actions and support victims of hate crimes. I’m proud to have helped pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. Now law, it is working to improve hate crime reporting requirements and expand culturally competent education campaigns. This law was passed at a time of increasing violence against Asian Americans across the country, and so in Congress, we took action. I will bring that same commitment to supporting the New Jersey Asian American community. I will work closely with groups like AAPI New Jersey and other members of the community to ensure we are investing in the resources that the community needs to eliminate xenophobia in our state and provide support services to victims of crime or those who have been discriminated against. I will also appoint a strong Attorney General who will share my dedication to addressing our unacceptably high rates of incidents of bias and hate.
John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act (S3009/A4083) – SUPPORT
New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act (S3672/A4987) – SEE ANSWER TO QUESTION 4
Same-Day Voter Registration (A2311) – SUPPORT
Use of Force Oversight (S2348/A4175) – SUPPORT
NO RESPONSE RECEIVED after multiple outreach attempts.
Jack Ciattarelli (Republican)
New Jersey has 40 state legislative districts, each represented by 2 Assembly members elected every two years.
You can find out who is running and read candidate responses for your district in two ways:
District 1 (No Response)
District 2 (No Response)
District 3 (No Response)
District 4 (No Response)
District 5
District 6 (No Response)
District 7 (No Response)
District 8 (No Response)
District 9
District 10
District 11 (No Response)
District 12
District 13 (No Response)
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17 (No Response)
District 18
District 19 (No Response)
District 20 (No Response)
District 21 (No Response)
District 22 (No Response)
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26 (No Response)
District 27
District 28
District 29 (No Response)
District 30 (No Response)
District 31 (No Response)
District 32 (No Response)
District 33 (No Response)
District 34 (No Response)
District 35 (No Response)
District 36
District 37
District 38 (No Response)
District 39 (No Response)
District 40
District 35
(No Responses)
Elmwood Park
Garfield
District 36
Carlstadt
Cliffside Park
East Rutherford
Edgewater
Fairview
Lyndhurst
North Arlington
Ridgefield
Rutherford
Wallington
Wood-Ridge
District 37
Bogota
Englewood
Englewood Cliffs
Fort Lee
Hackensack
Leonia
Palisades Park
Ridgefield Park
Teaneck
Tenafly
District 38
(No Responses)
Bergenfield
Fair Lawn
Glen Rock
Hasbrouck Heights
Little Ferry
Lodi
Maywood
Moonachie
New Milford
Oradell
Paramus
River Edge
Rochelle Park
Saddle Brook
South Hackensack
Teterboro
District 39
(No Responses)
Allendale
Alpine
Closter
Cresskill
Demarest
Dumont
Emerson
Harrington Park
Haworth
Hillsdale
Ho-Ho-Kus
Mahwah
Midland Park
Montvale
Northvale
Norwood
Oakland
Old Tappan
Park Ridge
Ramsey
River Vale
Rockleigh
Saddle River
Upper Saddle River
Waldwick
Washington (Bergen)
Westwood
Woodcliff Lake
District 40
Franklin Lakes
Ridgewood
Wyckoff
District 27
Livingston
Millburn
Montclair
Roseland
West Orange
District 28
Irvington
Maplewood
Newark
South Orange
District 29
(No Responses)
East Newark
Newark
District 34
(No Responses)
Belleville
Bloomfield
East Orange
Glen Ridge
Nutley
Orange
District 40
Caldwell
Cedar Grove
Essex Fells
Fairfield (Essex)
North Caldwell
Verona
West Caldwell
District 29
(No Responses)
Harrison (Hudson)
District 31
(No Responses)
Bayonne
Jersey City (check your address)
Kearny
District 32
(No Responses)
Hoboken
Jersey City (check your address)
District 33
(No Responses)
Guttenberg
North Bergen
Secaucus
Union City
Weehawken
West New York
District 21
(No Responses)
Chatham Borough
Chatham Township
Long Hill
District 24
Chester Borough
Chester Township
Mount Olive
Netcong
Roxbury
Washington (Morris)
District 25
Boonton Township
Butler
Dover
Harding
Jefferson
Kinnelon
Madison
Mendham Borough
Mendham Township
Mine Hill
Morris
Morristown
Mount Arlington
Randolph
Rockaway Borough
Rockaway Township
Victory Gardens
Wharton
District 26
(No Responses)
Boonton
Denville
East Hanover
Florham Park
Hanover
Lincoln Park
Montville
Morris Plains
Mountain Lakes
Parsippany-Troy Hills
Pequannock
Riverdale
District 25
West Milford
District 26
(No Responses)
Bloomingdale
Pompton Lakes
Ringwood
Wanaque
District 27
Clifton
District 35
(No Responses)
Haledon
North Haledon
Paterson
Prospect Park
District 36
Passaic
District 40
Hawthorne
Little Falls
Totowa
Wayne
Woodland Park
District 24
Andover Borough
Andover Township
Branchville
Byram
Frankford
Franklin (Sussex)
Fredon
Green
Hamburg
Hampton (Sussex)
Hardyston
Hopatcong
Lafayette
Montague
Newton
Ogdensburg
Sandyston
Sparta
Stanhope
Stillwater
Sussex
Vernon
Walpack
Wantage
District 23
Alpha
Belvidere
Blairstown
Franklin (Warren)
Frelinghuysen
Greenwich (Warren)
Hackettstown
Hardwick
Harmony
Hope
Knowlton
Liberty
Lopatcong
Mansfield (Warren)
Oxford
Phillipsburg
Pohatcong
Washington Borough (Warren)
Washington Township (Warren)
White
District 24
Allamuchy
Independence
District 15
Delaware
East Amwell
Frenchtown
Kingwood
Lambertville
Stockton
West Amwell
District 16
Clinton
Clinton Township
Flemington
High Bridge
Lebanon Borough
Raritan (Hunterdon)
Readington
District 23
Alexandria
Bethlehem
Bloomsbury
Califon
Franklin (Hunterdon)
Glen Gardner
Hampton (Hunterdon)
Holland
Lebanon Township
Milford
Tewksbury
Union (Hunterdon)
District 14
East Windsor
Hamilton (Mercer)
Hightstown
Robbinsville
District 15
Ewing
Hopewell Borough (Mercer)
Hopewell Township (Mercer)
Lawrence (Mercer)
Pennington
Trenton
West Windsor
District 16
Princeton
District 12
Helmetta
Old Bridge
Spotswood
District 14
Cranbury
Jamesburg
Monroe (Middlesex)
Plainsboro
District 16
South Brunswick
District 17
(No Responses)
New Brunswick
North Brunswick
Piscataway
District 18
East Brunswick
Edison
Highland Park
Metuchen
Milltown
South Plainfield
South River
District 19
(No Responses)
Carteret
Perth Amboy
Sayreville
South Amboy
Woodbridge
District 21
(No Responses)
Dunellen
Middlesex
District 16
Branchburg
Hillsborough
Millstone (Somerset)
Montgomery
Rocky Hill
District 17
(No Responses)
Franklin (Somerset)
South Bound Brook
District 21
(No Responses)
Bernards
Bernardsville
Far Hills
Green Brook
Peapack-Gladstone
Warren
Watchung
District 22
(No Responses)
North Plainfield
District 23
Bedminster
Bound Brook
Bridgewater
Manville
Raritan (Somerset)
Somerville
District 20
(No Responses)
Elizabeth
Kenilworth
Roselle
Union (Union)
District 21
(No Responses)
Berkeley Heights
Garwood
Mountainside
New Providence
Springfield (Union)
Summit
Westfield
District 22
(No Responses)
Clark
Cranford
Fanwood
Linden
Plainfield
Rahway
Roselle Park
Scotch Plains
Winfield
District 28
Hillside
District 1
(No Responses)
Corbin City
Weymouth
District 2
(No Responses)
Absecon
Atlantic City
Brigantine
Egg Harbor Township
Galloway Township
Hamilton Township
Linwood
Longport
Margate
Northfield
Pleasantville
Port Republic
Somers Point
Ventnor City
District 4
(No Responses)
Buena
Buena Vista
District 8
(No Responses)
Egg Harbor City
Folsom
Hammonton
Mullica
District 6
(No Responses)
Maple Shade
Voorhees
District 7
(No Responses)
Beverly
Bordentown
Bordentown Township
Burlington
Burlington Township
Cinnaminson
Delanco
Delran
Edgewater Park
Fieldsboro
Florence
Moorestown
Mount Laurel
Palmyra
Riverside
Riverton
Willingboro
District 8
(No Responses)
Bass River
Chesterfield
Eastampton
Evesham
Hainesport
Lumberton
Mansfield (Burlington)
Medford
Medford Lakes
Mount Holly
New Hanover
Pemberton Borough
Pemberton Township
Shamong
Southampton
Springfield (Burlington)
Tabernacle
Washington (Burlington)
Westampton
Woodland
Wrightstown
District 12
North Hanover
District 4
(No Responses)
Chesilhurst
Gloucester Township
Waterford
Winslow
District 5
Audubon
Barrington
Bellmawr
Brooklawn
Camden
Collingswood
Gloucester City
Haddon Heights
Merchantville
Mount Ephraim
Pennsauken
Runnemede
Woodlynne
District 6
(No Responses)
Audubon Park
Berlin Borough
Berlin Township
Cherry Hill
Clementon
Gibbsboro
Haddon
Haddonfield
Hi-Nella
Laurel Springs
Lawnside
Lindenwold
Magnolia
Oaklyn
Pine Hill
Somerdale
Stratford
Tavistock
District 1
(No Responses)
Avalon
Cape May
Cape May Point
Dennis
Lower
Middle
North Wildwood
Ocean City
Sea Isle City
Stone Harbor
Upper
West Cape May
West Wildwood
Wildwood
Wildwood Crest
Woodbine
District 1
(No Responses)
Bridgeton
Commercial
Downe
Estell Manor
Fairfield (Cumberland)
Lawrence (Cumberland)
Maurice River
Millville
Vineland
District 3
(No Responses)
Deerfield
Greenwich (Cumberland)
Hopewell (Cumberland)
Shiloh
Stow Creek
Upper Deerfield
District 3
(No Responses)
Clayton
East Greenwich
Elk
Glassboro
Greenwich (Gloucester)
Harrison (Gloucester)
Logan
Mantua
National Park
Paulsboro
Pitman
South Harrison
Swedesboro
Wenonah
West Deptford
Westville
Woolwich
District 4
(No Responses)
Franklin (Gloucester)
Monroe (Gloucester)
Newfield
Washington (Gloucester)
District 5
Deptford
Woodbury
Woodbury Heights
District 10
Brielle
Manasquan
Sea Girt
Spring Lake
Spring Lake Heights
District 11
(No Responses)
Allenhurst
Asbury Park
Bradley Beach
Colts Neck
Deal
Eatontown
Fair Haven
Freehold Borough
Freehold Township
Interlaken
Loch Arbour
Long Branch
Neptune
Neptune Township
Ocean Township (Monmouth)
Red Bank
Shrewsbury Borough
Shrewsbury Township
Tinton Falls
District 12
Allentown
Englishtown
Manalapan
Matawan
Millstone (Monmouth)
Roosevelt
Upper Freehold
District 13
(No Responses)
Aberdeen
Atlantic Highlands
Hazlet
Highlands
Holmdel
Keansburg
Keyport
Little Silver
Marlboro
Middletown
Monmouth Beach
Oceanport
Rumson
Sea Bright
Union Beach}
West Long Branch
District 30
(No Responses)
Avon-by-the-Sea
Farmingdale
Howell
Lake Como
Wall
District 9
Barnegat
Barnegat Light
Beach Haven
Beachwood
Berkeley
Eagleswood
Harvey Cedars
Lacey
Lakehurst
Little Egg Harbor
Long Beach
Manchester
Ocean Gate
Ocean Township (Ocean)
Pine Beach
Ship Bottom
Stafford
Surf City
Tuckerton
District 10
Bay Head
Brick
Island Heights
Lavallette
Mantoloking
Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Beach
Seaside Heights
Seaside Park
South Toms River
Toms River
District 12
Jackson
Plumsted
District 30
(No Responses)
Belmar
Lakewood
District 3
(No Responses)
Alloway
Carneys Point
Elmer
Elsinboro
Lower Alloways Creek
Mannington
Oldmans
Penns Grove
Pennsville
Pilesgrove
Pittsgrove
Quinton
Salem
Upper Pittsgrove
Woodstown
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In 2023, we formally changed our name to AAPI New Jersey to reflect the statewide priorities and activities that this group of committed community members and advocates now supports.
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