Age: 50

Hometown: Delran

Occupation: Real estate industry executive

Personal background: I was born in Philadelphia and raised in Willingboro. I am a graduate of Rowan University. I have worked in government, organized labor and private sector positions over the course of my professional career. Additionally, I am currently a member of the Carpenters Union Local #255.

Political background: I was first elected to office in November 2011 to the New Jersey General Assembly and served there until my election to the state Senate in November 2017. I now serve as the Senate majority whip.

Why are you running for office? I am running for office to continue my advocacy on behalf of the residents of the 7th Legislative District. I pride myself on being an accessible and forceful advocate for the 17 communities that I am privileged to represent.

Key election issue: Making New Jersey more affordable is an important component of my focus as an elected official. Whether that is the work I have led on lowering prescription drug costs or supporting historic property tax relief through the ANCHOR program, being laser-focused on making our state more affordable will always be my top priority.

I proudly authored the recent sweeping prescription drug law, which sets up a state council to apply downward pressure on pricing. Additionally, I led the efforts to get expanded property tax relief through this year’s state budget by increasing distribution to municipalities from the Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund. These funds would increase payments to municipalities to restore previous municipal aid cuts and require a corresponding reduction in the municipal property tax levy to ensure the tax relief is reflected in the property tax bills.

Example of a successful project: I proudly authored the nation’s first and only Environmental Justice Law. This law ensures that no community will have a greater environmental burden than benefit. It requires the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to analyze the cumulative impacts of a project on a community before granting a new permit or a renewal for certain types of facilities that have the potential to be hazardous to the community in which they are located.

Example of a challenge faced: The biggest challenge that I face is the difficulty in overcoming the inertia of the government process. There are big challenges that our state has historically faced, and the fierce urgency to address and remedy those challenges isn’t always handled with the speed I would like.

On NJ’s gun laws: I think New Jersey’s gun laws strike a reasonable balance between protecting our citizens without undermining our country’s Second Amendment rights. It is why our state has one of the lowest rates of gun deaths per capita in the nation. Most recently, I have authored a new law that increases penalties for illegal gun trafficking.

On the Murphy administration’s climate change proposals: Our state’s and frankly our nation’s goal of combating climate change is a quality of life, sustainability and security issue that we can no longer delay. The challenge is that the misinformation surrounding these goals, often for political expediency, tends to overshadow thoughtful debate around how we best combat climate change. I believe that in order for us to aggressively target this issue we need an “all of the above” energy aggregation goal that utilizes all sources of clean energy as we transition away from our sole dependency on traditional fossil fuels.

On housing affordability and property taxes: The main challenge in this area is the lack of supply. Housing inventory is at a low point, and that forces pricing to go higher and shuts out so many from purchasing a home. I am proud of my work to augment New Jersey’s Affordable Housing Production Fund, which will create a significant number of housing units across our state. This, coupled with the work I have led to provide financial resources for first-generation homebuyers and down payment assistance, is geared toward expanding both inventory and access to the American dream of home ownership.

Final thoughts: I pride myself on being a public servant before all else, and proudly host many community service initiatives, encouraging others to join in that spirit. I have been honored to represent the communities in which I grew up for nearly 12 years. It is my hope that my record of engagement, advocacy and community involvement will warrant another opportunity to return to Trenton in service to my “bosses,” the residents of the 7th Legislative District.

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The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.

Age: N/A

Hometown: Mount Laurel

Occupation: Legislator 

Personal background: I am serving my third term representing the 7th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly and am a member of the legislative leadership, holding the position of majority whip. I was elected in 2017 and am the first woman in over 20 years to represent the 7th Legislative District in the Assembly. Prior to serving in the Legislature, I worked at the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, serving as the community relations manager, where I established a transparent government records division and worked closely with communities to address local and environmental concerns. These efforts led to the building and modernizing of public schools, improving classrooms across New Jersey. As a chief of staff and policy director in the Legislature, I worked on major public policy initiatives that included pay equity, fair wages, women’s health care, gun violence, state debt reduction, prescription drug affordability, property tax relief and economic growth.

Political background: I have been involved in politics since mid-1995. I worked on my first race as the scheduler and events coordinator; in 1997 I ran for the Marlton Township Council and then for the Assembly in 2001. In 2000 I served as the Burlington County treasurer. I volunteered and worked with DACC from 2002 through 2016. In 2017 I won an Assembly  seat in the 7th Legislative District. In the 2023 election cycle I am running for my fourth term for the next two years.

Why are you running for office? All of my work life I have been learning and working in customer service, helping people, whether it was as a litigation paralegal, community manager for schools development, chair of the recreation advisory committee, staffer for legislators or now as a legislator. I wanted to be in a position that gives me the satisfaction of helping others and being needed. I realized that being a legislator is something I have been working toward all of my working life.

Key election issue: Affordability for all New Jerseyans. Assuring that our residents can live, raise a family, work, get a strong education, play and retire in New Jersey. Affordable and accessible health care; physical, emotional and mental health is a top priority, especially for our youth. All issues are on the table and impact our families.

New Jersey is facing an affordability crisis that impacts our families with the high cost of living, while wages are not keeping pace and we continue to be weighed down by high property taxes. I’ve authored legislation to create a property tax study commission to take a fresh look at how we can lower property taxes in the state, and in the short term I have championed the successful ANCHOR program that has provided property taxpayers up to $1,500 annually in tax relief. Additionally, I’m proud as a member of the budget committee to have fought for important priorities while working toward a budget that does not impose new taxes and fees on residents.

Example of a successful project: I have had a few bills signed into law by the governor, including creating parking placards for our home health-care workers, Students Bill of Rights Food Insecurity and a Licensure Compact for our teachers, and I established an Ireland Trade Commission in the Department of State, to name just a few.

Example of a challenge faced: Many of my challenges have occurred with reaching my short-term goals, including leadership, in which I am honored to serve as the majority whip. I worked hard to overcome the challenges I faced, with persistence and perseverance. Along with dedication and commitment to myself, the office and work as a public servant.

On NJ’s gun laws: I’m proud that we have taken important steps in the Legislature to combat the epidemic of gun violence by fighting for common-sense laws that protect our residents. For example, I supported reducing the size of high-capacity magazines that are often used in mass shootings, because they are a danger to public safety and have no place in our communities; strengthened background checks and required background checks for private gun sales, and prohibited the sale of deadly body-armor-piercing ammunition.

Our fight to curb gun violence is critically important, and we must look at common-sense solutions to better protect people from gun violence. It is imperative that we work in our own communities with business, community and civic leaders to encourage a culture of responsible gun ownership. We know that gun violence is preventable, and by working together we can make progress.

On the Murphy administration’s climate change proposals: We have a moral responsibility to address the alarming threat of climate change, and I’m working toward this by improving the availability and accessibility to electric vehicle charging infrastructure, reducing energy consumption and emissions, establishing new financing mechanisms to give property owners the ability to make energy-efficient improvements, and requiring local governments to consider the risks of climate change when making planning decisions.

Furthermore, I’m working toward increasing capacity for renewable energy production, establishing a solar incentive program, creating large-scale solar facilities and positioning New Jersey to be a world leader in offshore wind energy production that will also create tens of thousands of new jobs. And ensuring that everyone has access to clean drinking water by making historic investments in water infrastructure projects and improving the safety of drinking water.

On housing affordability and property taxes: Our local small businesses are the backbone of our economy and our communities. To support a thriving economy we must ensure businesses can succeed while supporting our workforce by providing incentives for job creation and capital investment, disbursing financial resources for small businesses, attracting film studios for large-scale production projects, and maximizing the benefits of Urban Enterprise Zones.

Furthermore, we must improve our economy through comprehensive economic incentives to prioritize investments in high-growth sectors and creating viable job opportunities to position New Jersey as a global leader in the innovation economy. And, by supporting cultural, historic, food and beverage tourism, including online gaming and sports wagering, enabling fixed-odds horse wagering and investing in the promotion of local tourism and historical and agricultural industries, we can bolster economic opportunities in every region of our state.

Final thoughts: It is my strong belief that education is the essence of opportunity; a good education levels the playing field and creates fairness in future academic pursuits. We must do everything to ensure that New Jersey continues to lead the nation with the best school systems. As a state lawmaker, I have fought to close a gap of more than $30 million for Burlington County public schools that were underfunded, and I will always be a fierce advocate for teachers, students and ensuring student success. Now, I’m fighting to improve access to mental health services in our schools for students by ensuring wellness rooms, mental health first-aid training for teachers and other faculty, and establishing a task force to analyze the necessary services to improve care.

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The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.