Ed Gittens, veteran Assembly staffer, dies at 63

Ed Gittens, the highly regarded chief of staff to Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Trenton), died on August 24.  He was 63.

Gittens became chief of staff in 2018 after Reynolds-Jackson won a special election convention to replace Elizabeth Muoio (D-Pennington), who had resigned to become State Treasurer.  She called him her “big brother in service.”

“Ed and I first met at a Trenton City Council meeting in 2011, where he was advocating for Ban the Box legislation. He believed people returning home deserved a fair opportunity to enter the workforce without being judged by their past before they could even get through the door,” Reynolds-Jackson said.  “We made a great team. I was the heavyweight, and Ed was the nice guy. He had a talent for balancing people, policy, and politics.”

Gittens had a long history of working for non-profits and government entities.  He worked for UIH Family Partners, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, TEEM Gateway/Rutgers University, Head Start of Bucks County, and Opportunities for All.  He had spent a little over a year working for Mercer County when Reynolds-Jackson picked him to serve as chief of staff.

“He was never one to say yes to everything. Ed would tell you exactly what he thought, whether you wanted to hear it or not. Sometimes you just wanted him to be quiet for five minutes.,” said Reynolds-Jackson. “But that honesty was part of what made Ed, Ed.”

Reynolds-Jackson pointed to Gittens’ work to pass the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey.   She said the new law represented “values that Ed believed in deeply: protecting and expanding voting rights for Black voters and other voters of color who are disproportionately harmed by discriminatory practices and barriers to voting.”

“He understood my passion for speaking out on inequality, fighting for second chances, and advocating for those whose voices are often ignored,” she said.  “Ed was truly present.”

The veteran lawmaker praised Gittens’ strong work ethic.

“Ed worked long hours, days and many late nights. He was there on weekends.  He showed up at churches, community events, door-knocking on my campaign, meetings, book club discussions, and wherever people needed help,” Reynolds-Jackson stated.

Gittens was a 1985 graduate of The College of New Jersey.