Elections Matter: NEA/NJEA/BCEA Endorsements: Voting Matters!

How and IF you VOTE…MATTERS!  Voting for candidates that have gone through our endorsement process and received our endorsement means that you will be voting for the BEST candidate for YOUR profession.  Each candidate is interviewed by a TEAM of your fellow educators, completed a questionnaire and have had their voting record analyzed.  The NJEA/BCEA is NONPARTISAN and we endorse members from BOTH the Republican and Democratic Parties, but obviously…if a candidate does NOT support the priority positions of our members…why would we endorse them?

This page will be updated as more November 2023 endorsements are confirmed:

All NJEA Members are strongly encouraged to donate to the NJEA PAC.  Billionaires and Millionaires donate to PACS to get their message across to politicians, educators can get their message out by donating to the NJEA PAC.  Just $2 or $3 a month will help make an impact! Sign up to donate, today!

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How the NJEA Endorsement Process Works:

From NJEA.org:

The screening process

Establishing a screening committee

PAC screening committees are established for each congressional district (CD) and legislative districts (for state candidates). Each committee includes members of the NJEA PAC Operating Committee who represent their respective counties and the New Jersey Retirees’ Education Association (NJREA) legislative county chairperson.

Screening committees also include NJEA Government Relations Committee and Congressional Contact Committee members from counties involved, the county president, and NJEA Executive Committee members from the counties involved.

Evaluating the candidates

For November elections, screening committees generally invite candidates for an interview in late June. Prior to meeting the candidate, the committee reviews completed NJEA questionnaires submitted by the candidate and if he or she is an incumbent, the candidate’s voting record.

Each candidate screening session lasts about an hour, allowing time for candidates to make a presentation and answer screening committee questions. Questions are based upon the issues described above and concerns within the county membership.

When evaluating the candidates, screening committees consider candidates’ positions on issues and electability. For incumbents, committees also consider legislative voting records, committee assignments, leadership positions, sponsorship of pro-public education legislation, and accessibility to NJEA members.

Endorsing the candidates

The screening committee does not make the final endorsement. Rather, it recommends a position to be considered by the NJEA PAC Operating Committee.

To make its recommendation, the county screening committee discusses the merits of each candidate. The committee may recommend the endorsement of one candidate in a race, recommend no endorsement, or recommend a “your choice” option, which indicates that both candidates are in agreement with NJEA’s goals and positions.

The 125-member NJEA PAC Operating Committee consists of NJEA’s officers, the NJEA Executive Committee, the county association presidents, the NJEA Government Relations Committee, the Congressional Contact Committee, the president of New Jersey Student Education Association, the NJREA legislative chairperson, and two NJREA regional legislative chairs.

For the November general election, the committee usually meets in August. It reviews the recommendations of the screening committees and brings votes to determine who will become NJEA PAC-endorsed candidates.

For presidential and congressional endorsements, NJEA PAC’s recommendations are sent to the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education for final endorsement.

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November 2023 Endorsements:

COUNTY LEVEL:

NJ Legislature Candidate Endorsements for November 2023:

  • LD 32: Raj Mukherji (D) for Senate and John Allen (D) and Jessica Ramirez (D) for Assembly. 

    • (Municipalities: East Newark, Edgewater, Fairview, Guttenberg, Harrison (Hudson), Kearny, North Bergen, Secaucus, West New York)

  • LD 35: Nellie Pou (D) for Senate and Benjie Wimberly (D) and Shavonda E. Sumter (D) for Assembly

    • (Municipalities: Elmwood Park, Garfield, Haledon, North Haledon, Paterson, Prospect Park)

  • LD 36: Paul A. Sarlo (D) for Senate and Gary S. Schaer (D) and Clinton Calabrese (D) for Assembly

    • (Municipalities: Carlstadt, Cliffside Park, East Rutherford, Little Ferry, Lyndhurst, Moonachie, North Arlington, Passaic, Ridgefield, Rutherford, South Hackensack, Teterboro, Wallington, Wood-Ridge)

  • LD 37: Gordon M. Johnson (D) for Senate and Ellen J. Park (D) and Shama A. Haider (D) for Assembly

    • (Municipalities: Alpine, Bogota, Cresskill, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fort Lee, Hackensack, Leonia, Northvale, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park, Rockleigh, Teaneck, Tenafly)

  • LD 38: Joseph A. Lagana (D) for Senate and P. Christopher Tully (D) and Lisa Swain (D) for Assembly

    • (Municipalities: Bergenfield, Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Hasbrouck Heights, Hawthorne, Lodi, Maywood, New Milford, Oradell, Paramus, River Edge, Rochelle Park, Saddle Brook)

  • LD: 39 Jodi Murphy (D) for Sente and John Vitale (D) and Damon Englese (D) for Assembly

    • (Municipalities: Bloomingdale, Closter, Demarest, Dumont, Emerson, Harrington Park, Haworth, Hillsdale, Mahwah, Montvale, Norwood, Oakland, Old Tappan, Park Ridge, Ramsey, Ringwood, River Vale, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Wanaque, Washington (Bergen), Westwood, Woodcliff Lake)

  • LD:40: Kristin M. Corrado (R) for Senate and Christopher P. DePhillips (R) and Al Barlas (R) for Assembly

    • (Municipalities: Allendale, Cedar Grove, Franklin Lakes, Ho-Ho-Kus, Little Falls, Midland Park, Pequannock, Pompton Lakes, Ridgewood, Riverdale, Totowa, Waldwick, Wayne, Woodland Park, Wyckoff)