To the immense relief of just about everybody, Chris Christie’s tenure in the State House is about to come to an end. Monday was the deadline to file for the primaries, and 11 people —five Republicans and six Democrats—submitted petitions of 1,000 signatures, which places them on their parties’ ballots.
The Democratic candidates, in alphabetical order, are:
This former Teaneck firefighter is also a firebrand known for his activism. The Wayne resident, who has a law degree, achieved statewide attention when he filed a complaint against Christie in the matter of Bridgegate. He holds progressive positions on labor, education and other relevant issues and had made corruption at all levels in government a major talking point of his campaign.
This Montclair native was a federal prosecutor in New York State and served in the Dept. of the Treasury in several capacities during the Clinton administration. He was chair of the Brennan Center for Justice for seven years and has worked in several capacities to reconcile civil rights and law enforcement. His platform includes creating a New Jersey Immigration Council.
A member of the state legislature since 1978, Sen. Lesniak is a Rutgers alumnus who lives in Elizabeth. During his tenure he created a track record for supporting marriage equality, environmental protections and abolition of the death penalty, among other progressive stances.
Endorsed by the Sussex County Democratic Committee and widely touted to be the frontrunner in the party race, Murphy is a former banker for Goldman Sachs who says he is beholden to no group and still identifies with his modest roots. A graduate of Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, he served on the board of the NAACP and was ambassador to Germany during the Obama administration.
Wisniewski grew up in Sayreville, where he still lives, and graduated from Rutgers University before earning a law degree at Seton Hall University. A member of the General Assembly for a little more than two decades, he has sponsored legislation to expand voting rights, provide middle-class tax relief, expand job opportunities and extend marriage equity to the LBGT community.
President of the Borough Council in Tenafly, Zinna promotes a platform that includes single-payer healthcare for all New Jerseyans, legalizing marijuana, preventing pipeline expansion in favor of renewable energy, protecting women’s reproductive rights, disbanding the NY/NJ Port Authority and instituting term limits for state legislators.