This story was updated on June 7 with Alberta Gordon’s candidate questionnaire.
In advance of the July 16 primary for the late Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark)’s congressional seat, the New Jersey Globe sent a candidate questionnaire to all 11 Democratic candidates vying to succeed Payne. The questionnaire allows candidates to explain their views on key issues and make their case to 10th district voters as to why they should be elected as the district’s next representative.
Eight candidates responded: former East Orange Councilwoman Brittany Claybrooks, teacher John Flora, state economic development official Darryl Godfrey, small businesswoman Alberta Gordon (whose questionnaire arrived late and was not originally included in this story), Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver, former Payne staffer Shana Melius, former Newark mayoral candidate Sheila Montague, and Hudson County Commissioner Jerry Walker (D-Jersey City).
Click here to see each candidate’s full questionnaire: Brittany Claybrooks | John Flora | Darryl Godfrey | Alberta Gordon | LaMonica McIver | Shana Melius | Sheila Montague | Jerry Walker
The other three candidates – Linden Mayor Derek Armstead, law professor Eugene Mazo, and activist Debra Salters – did not return the questionnaire. (Mazo, for what it’s worth, doesn’t seem to be really campaigning for the seat, and is instead using his campaign to test ballot slogan laws.)
All eight candidates who filled out the questionnaire agreed on many issues close to Democratic voters’ hearts, such as supporting an assault weapons ban, opposing Trump-era immigration policies, and backing Hakeem Jeffries to be the next Speaker of the House. But on a few controversial subjects like military aid for Israel and the county organizational line, some splits among the candidates are apparent.
And, of course, each candidate has their own unique background and viewpoint that they’d bring to Congress. Here’s the highlights of what each candidate said; to learn more about their individual stories and priorities, click through on their questionnaire or scroll to the bottom of this article.
Top priorities
Each candidate was asked what three top priorities they’d focus on if elected to Congress, and while they all emphasized different things, there were some common themes like affordable housing and improving access to health care.
McIver said that she was most interested in tackling health care costs, infrastructure investment, and housing affordability, three things that matter quite a bit in the dense, urban 10th district.
“[I would focus on] addressing gaps in healthcare access and affordability, including expanding coverage options, lowering prescription drug costs, and improving healthcare outcomes for marginalized communities by investing in community health centers, increasing funding for programs that address social determinants of health, and promoting cultural competency training for healthcare providers,” McIver said of her health care proposals.
Melius similarly highlighted high costs for families, saying she’d work on “family affordability, health outcomes, and social equitable opportunities.” And Claybrooks cited a bevy of issues as her priorities: “greater access to affordable housing, health care, & childcare; environmental justice; and education, labor, & criminal justice reform.”
Lowering the cost of housing was a shared point of interest across several candidates. Godfrey said he wanted to focus on creating affordable housing, protecting voting rights and reproductive rights, and investing in 10th district communities; Flora said that affordable housing, universal pre-K, and climate change would be his foremost priorities, with campaign finance reform “a close fourth.”
Walker also referenced universal pre-K, saying that early childhood education, job training programs, and fairer taxation policies were his chief issues.
“[I would work on] pushing for reforms that promote a fairer tax system, including closing loopholes that benefit the wealthy, implementing progressive taxation policies, and ensuring that corporations pay their fair share to support essential public services and infrastructure,” he said of his tax ideas.
Gordon said that she would focus on increasing access to health care, improving data privacy policies, and aiding small businesses. But the issue she highlighted first was gun control; her son, Tajzir, was paralyzed by a stray bullet as a child, fueling Gordon’s desire to get guns off the street.
“When my son Tajzir was shot, it changed the entire direction of my life,” Gordon said. “You can bet I will be working to keep guns out of the hands of those who should not have them.”
Finally, Montague said that her top priorities were protecting “women’s maternal rights,” which range from prenatal care to abortion rights; ensuring the right to vote; and combating book banning.
“Protecting the right to read and learn without censorship is essential for fostering critical thinking, creativity, and open dialogue,” Montague said. “I will work to promote policies that uphold intellectual freedom and support the availability of diverse literature in schools, libraries, and communities.”
Core Democratic policies
The New Jersey Globe’s questionnaire also asked the 10th district candidates how they would vote on ten bills that have either been proposed or come up for a vote in recent congressional sessions – and on most of them, all eight candidates took the same position.
Each of the eight candidates said that they’d support two Democratic-proposed bills to ban most assault rifles and create a committee to study the possibility of reparations for Black Americans, and that they’d oppose a GOP bill bringing back many restrictive Trump-era immigration policies. The two policy cornerstones of the Biden administration – the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill – also got unanimous support.
Most notably, all eight are supportive of the Medicare for All Act, which would establish a nationwide single-payer healthcare system. Unlike many of the other bills mentioned, Medicare for All remains a subject of debate among Democrats in Congress, and many of New Jersey’s sitting Democratic representatives are not necessarily supportive of the proposal.
Lastly, if elected to Congress, every 10th district candidate said they would vote for Hakeem Jeffries to be the Speaker of the House in 2025. That’s far from a surprise; Jeffries, who would be the first-ever Black Speaker, has broad support within the House Democratic caucus.
Foreign policy issues
The issues that have been more contentious for many Democrats this congressional session are foreign policy issues, where complicated debates regarding the war in Gaza, American surveillance programs, and more have caused splits within the Democratic caucus.
Every 10th district candidate agreed on one foreign policy priority: sending aid to Ukraine. A bill giving $61 billion for the Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invasion passed the House with unanimous Democratic support in April, and each of the eight 10th district candidates said they would have voted for it, too.
But an equivalent bill providing $26 billion in aid for Israel and humanitarian aid in Gaza drew two defectors. Claybrooks, Godfrey, Walker, Flora, Montague, and McIver said they’d have voted yes on Israel aid, though McIver said she wanted to “understand more about the details and breakdown of the aid package for Israel and Gaza”; Melius and Gordon were the lone candidates to say they’d have voted no, although Melius had a caveat.
“There have been escalations in the conflict since the time of the vote, notably the recent attacks on Rafah that reportedly led to the killing of dozens of civilians,” Melius said. “Due to the impact of these developments, I cannot say clearly whether I would have voted in favor of the bill at the time. Today, I would not.”
Melius’ and Gordon’s no votes would group them with Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), the lone New Jersey representative to vote against the Israel bill.
A third bill that passed Congress alongside Israel and Ukraine aid was one that would ban the social media app TikTok if it isn’t sold by its Chinese parent company. Montague was the one candidate who said she’d have opposed that bill, allying her with Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), who voted against it in the House. Claybrooks, Godfrey, Walker, Flora, McIver, Gordon, and Melius all said they support the bill, although McIver made it clear that she’d rather not see TikTok be banned.
“It’s important to support and take the necessary measures to protect our nation’s security,” McIver said. “I hope Tik Tok is sold to another party so those who enjoy the application each day can continue to do so and also those who are business owners and content creators can continue to benefit from the application.”
Lastly, a contentious bill reauthorizing the United States’ ability to surveil non-Americans abroad without a warrant split the eight candidates down the middle. Godfrey, Walker, Gordon, and Montague supported the bill, while Claybrooks, Flora, McIver, and Melius were opposed; in Congress, the bill mostly drew its support from more national security-focused members of both parties, while the objectors were civil liberties-focused Democrats and Republicans.
The county line
One of the top issues in New Jersey politics this year has been the county organizational line, the unusual and controversial ballot design system that lets county political parties group their endorsed candidates together. Earlier this year, a federal judge eliminated the county line in this year’s Democratic primary, finding that it provided an unconstitutional advantage to certain candidates.
Asked whether they believed the judge’s decision temporarily abolishing the line was the correct one, four candidates – Godfrey, Flora, Melius, and Gordon – unequivocally said yes.
“I wholeheartedly agree with the decision, but I do not begrudge anyone who was working on behalf of their constituents by utilizing the system that we were required to use for so many years,” Melius said. “Now that the slate is wiped clean, I think most folks would agree this is much closer to the democratic ideals we hold dear.”
“There would be no county line in my ideal New Jersey because I believe the line serves as an obstruction to democracy,” Flora concurred.
Gordon made sure to note that even if she wins and becomes a congresswoman, she’ll still support ending the county line as a pro-democracy measure.
“Democratic primaries should be as democratic as possible – and that goes for any election I am part of, including as an incumbent in the future,” Gordon said.
McIver, Claybrooks, Montague, and Walker all took somewhat more equivocal stances; none of them were committed to maintaining the county line, but all of them acknowledged the important and sometimes positive role it has played in New Jersey politics.
“My perspective is nuanced,” Walker said. “While I see potential benefits in reducing the influence of county organizational lines, as it can foster a more open and diverse political landscape, I also recognize that these lines have historically served as a means of organizing and representing constituents.”
“I support any fair, uniform ballot design measure that brings clarity to the voting process,” McIver said. “At the end of the day, anyone looking to seek an elected office must work hard and gain voters’ support and the design of the ballot process shouldn’t change that. As an individual that is experienced in running in non-partisan elections, I work hard in my campaigns to knock every door and get out and speak with voters. Making those connections are far more important than any ballot design.”
McIver, it should be noted, has the support of the county Democratic organizations in Union and Essex Counties, which benefit greatly from the continued existence of the line. The line shouldn’t matter much to McIver personally, though, since the 10th district special primary will be the only office on the ballot on July 16, and thus there won’t be any lines anyways.
Ideological caucuses
The House Democratic caucus is traditionally divided into three main ideological groups: the moderate-to-conservative Blue Dog Coalition, the center-left New Democrat Coalition, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, whose name is self-explanatory. There’s also the “Squad,” a more informal grouping of the House’s most left-wing members.
Claybrooks, Gordon, and Melius said they’d want to join the Congressional Progressive Caucus if elected to Congress, while Walker said he’d seek to join the New Democrat Coalition. McIver and Flora said they’re interested in joining both the Progressive Caucus and the New Democrats, which is perfectly allowed (South Jersey Rep. Donald Norcross is a member of both).
Godfrey did not indicate his interest in joining any ideological caucus, following the mold of the late Rep. Payne, who wasn’t a member of any of them. And Montague said she wanted to be in the Blue Dogs, the New Democrats, the Progressive Caucus, and the Squad.
House committees
Prior to his death, Payne was a member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the Homeland Security Committee; when Democrats held the House majority, he was the chairman of a Transportation & Infrastructure subcommittee focused on railroads.
Godfrey, Walker, McIver, and Melius all said that if elected, they would seek to keep the 10th district’s spot on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, a hugely important committee for an urban district that includes many of New Jersey’s biggest transit hubs. Flora was the lone candidate to express interest in continuing on the Homeland Security Committee.
Another four candidates – Claybrooks, Walker, Flora, and Montague – indicated their interest in joining the Committee on Education & the Workforce (also known as Education & Labor).
“With my extensive experience in education as a teacher, curriculum writer, and adjunct professor, I believe that joining the House Committee on Education and The Workforce would allow me to leverage my expertise to shape education policy at the federal level,” Montague said. “I could contribute to initiatives aimed at improving educational equity, expanding access to quality education, and supporting teachers and students from diverse backgrounds.”
And Godfrey, Claybrooks, and McIver said the Financial Services Committee, which oversees the banking and insurance industries, would be a good match for their skillsets.
“My professional experience would lend itself well to serving on the Financial Services Committee where I would bring a fresh perspective as someone who has worked in finance in both the public and private sectors and who understands how the financial system impacts our urban communities,” said Godfrey, who currently works as the COO of the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority.
“As an advocate for affordable housing, education and social justice, I believe that ensuring access to quality education and economic opportunities is fundamental to addressing inequality and empowering individuals and families to thrive,” Claybrooks said.
Other committees that different candidates expressed interest in joining: Energy & Commerce (Claybrooks), Natural Resources (Flora), Oversight & Accountability (Montague), the Select Committee on China (Flora), Science, Space & Technology (Gordon), Small Business (Melius and Gordon), and Veterans’ Affairs (Melius). (To be clear, while House members are able to indicate their interest in certain committees, the final decision is out of their hands, especially for freshman members.)
Congressman Payne’s legacy
All eight candidates were unanimous in their praise for the late Rep. Payne, who was rarely in the spotlight as a congressman but who had a reputation as a diligent legislator and a widely respected man. Their goal, each of them said, is to honor his legacy and continue his work where possible.
“To my mind, there isn’t a thing I would do differently than my former boss and mentor,” said Melius, who worked on Payne’s digital and constituent services team for three years. “I would pick up right where he left off with the same mission, the same reverence, and the same dedication. It would be my honor.”
Montague, Flora, and Godfrey, though, did note that they’d like their prospective congressional offices to be more accessible in-person and on social media, something that Payne’s office did not always emphasize.
“I would certainly seek to follow Congressman Payne’s example of supporting progressive policies that help uplift Black and brown residents and invest in the communities within Essex, Union and Hudson counties,” Godfrey said. “While I have great respect for Congressman Payne, I would seek to make the office more accessible to the people of the district by holding more town hall events and seeking input from constituents whenever possible.”
“Nobody will ever wear a bowtie with the level of sartorial elegance that only Donald Payne Jr. could. The more time I spend around the district, the more I learn why constituents loved him,” Flora said. “The main things I intend to do differently are to be more available for constituents in the district, strive for excellent voting attendance in Washington D.C., and be more selective about what sources I accept contributions from.”
And ultimately, any new member elected to the 10th district would be their own person with their own priorities, something that most candidates emphasized in their answers.
“While I would strive to continue Congressman Payne’s work in many areas – like infrastructure improvements – there may be areas where I would aspire to take a different approach or emphasize different priorities,” Claybrooks said. “For example, I may place a stronger focus on housing, environmental justice or criminal justice and education reform – building upon the foundation laid by Congressman Payne but also bringing my own insights and perspectives to these important issues.”
Brittany Claybrooks questionnaire
John Flora questionnaire
Darryl Godfrey questionnaire
Alberta Gordon questionnaire
LaMonica McIver questionnaire
Shana Melius questionnaire
Sheila Montague questionnaire
Jerry Walker questionnaire