Voice Your Choice: Election Time Is Here — See Top State Races Featuring Candidates of Color
By Daniel Winner | AC JosepH Media Correspondent
ATLANTIC CITY — Election season is here.
Across New Jersey, residents will be voting on a wide range of elections, from state offices to local committees. There is still plenty of time to vote.
Here are some of the key election dates:
Oct. 17
Voter Registration Deadline for General Election
Oct. 28 – November 5
Early Voting Period
Oct. 31
Deadline to apply for a Mail-In Ballot by Mail for General Election
Nov. 6 — by 3:00 p.m.
Deadline for In-Person Mail-In Ballot Applications for General Election
Nov. 7
General Election Day
Nov. 7
Deadline for Post Office Receipt of Mail-In Ballots from the General Election
Nov. 13
Deadline for Receipt of Timely Mailed Postmarked Mail-In Ballots to County Boards of Election
There will be key races at the municipal, county and state levels. All seats in the New Jersey Legislature are up. Here are some of the key Assembly and Senate Races involving candidates of color.
District 1: Ocean City’s Antwan McClellan made history four years ago as the first African American to represent the district, running as a Republican along with running mate Erik Simonsen and Senate Mike Testa. Now a veteran of the body and the state’s lone African American GOP assemblyman, McClellan will be running to keep his seat against two Blacks on the Democratic side running for the first-time educator Damita White-Morris and retired law enforcement officer Eddie Bonner.
District 2: Educator Alphonso Harrell is running for the first time as part of the Democratic ticket and a trio of Republican incumbents. Harrell would become the first Black to represent the district if he is successful.
District 5: Senate stalwart Nilsa Cruz-Perez, one of the top Latinas in the body, is running for re-election against Republican Clyde Cook a Black former local councilman in the Camden County. Incumbent Assemblyman William Spearman is running to keep his seat opposite Latina Yalinda Pagan, who is running as a Republican.
District 7: Sen. Troy Singleton has established himself as one of the top Democrats in the entire New Jersey state legislature and is arguably the top African American legislator in South Jersey. He will be fighting to keep his seat along with mentor, Assemblyman Dr. Herb Conaway.
District 9: Gabriel Franco, of Little Egg Harbor, will be trying to become the first Latino to representing the district, that is mostly made up of Ocean County resident. Even though the district tilts Republican Franco said he believe he has a real chance to win.
Front Runner New Jersey covers the region of South Jersey, including Atlantic County, Burlington County, Camden County, Cape May County, Cumberland County, Gloucester County, Salem County, and southern Ocean County. The following list follows this format and includes legislative districts that oversee these counties. All incumbents are marked with (i).
| Office | Democratic | Republican | Other parties |
| District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland) | Senate: Charles Laspata Assembly: Eddie Bonner Damita White-Morris | Senate: Mike Testa Jr. (i) Assembly: Antwan McClellan (i) Erik Simonsen (i) | |
| District 2 (Atlantic) | Senate: Caren Fitzptrick Assembly: Lisa Bender Alphonso Harrell | Senate: Vincent Polistina (i) Assembly: Don Guardian (i) Claire Swift (i) | Senate: Shawn Peck (Libertarian Party) |
| District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem) | Senate: John Burzichelli Assembly: Dave Bailey Jr. Heather Simmons | Senate: Edward R. Durr (i) Assembly: Bethanne McCarthy Patrick (i) Thomas J. Tedesco Jr. | |
| District 4 (Camden and Gloucester) | Senate: Paul Moriarty Assembly: Dan Hutchison Cody Miller | Senate: Christopher Del Borrello Assembly: Amanda Esposito Matthew Walker | Senate: Giuseppe Costanzo (Conservatives South Jersey Party) Assembly: Maureen Dukes Penrose (Conservatives South Jersey Party) |
| District 5 (Camden and Gloucester) | Senate: Nilsa Cruz-Perez (i) Assembly: William F. Moen Jr. (i) William W. Spearman (i) | Senate: Clyde Cook Assembly: Joe Miller Yalinda Pagan | Senate: Mohammad Kabir (Rights Tranquility Peace Party) |
| District 6 (Burlington and Camden) | Senate: James Beach (i) Assembly: Louis D. Greenwald (i) Pamela R. Lampitt (i) | Senate: Mark Doogan Assembly: Danielle M. Marry Brian McRory | |
| District 7 (Burlington) | Senate: Troy Singleton (i) Assembly: Herbert C. Conaway Jr. (i) Carol Murphy (i) | Senate: James Fazzone Assembly: Eileen Bleistine Douglas F. Dillon | |
| District 8 (Atlantic, Burlington and Camden) | Senate: Gaye Burton Assembly: Anthony Angelozzi Andrea Katz | Senate: Latham Tiver Assembly: Michael Torrissi Jr. (i) Brandon E. Umba (i) | |
| District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean) | Senate: Gabriel Franco Assembly: Joseph Atura Sarah Collins | Senate: Carmen Amato Jr. Assembly: Brian Rumpf (i) Gregory E. Myhre | Assembly: Barry Bendar (Green Party) |
| District 10 (Ocean) | Senate: Jeff Horn Assembly: John Lamacchia Emma Mammano | Senate: James Holzapfel (i) Assembly: Gregory P. McGuckin (i) Paul Kanitra | |
| District 12 (Burlington, | Senate: Brandon Rose Assembly: Raya Arbiol Paul Sarti | Senate: Owen Henry Assembly: Robert D. Clifton (i) Alex Sauickie (i) | Senate: Nina Jochnowitz (Results Not Politics Party) |
| District 30 ( | Senate: Stephen Dobbins Assembly: Salvatore Frascino Avi Schnall | Senate: Robert Singer (i) Assembly: Sean Kean (i) Edward Thomson (i) |
Please let us know if we missed anyone by contacting us at clyde.hughes@yahoo.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Daniel Winner has a double major in Religious Studies and Japanese from Penn State University and has traveled internationally to the Far East on several occasions. His insights on Buddhism and Asian culture give a unique view of historical and modern trends. He will be serving as a contributor for Front Runner New Jersey.
NOTE: Editor Clyde Hughes contributed to the report.
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