N.J. building trades endorse mostly incumbents, back just one challenger

The New Jersey State Building and Construction Trades Council has endorsed every incumbent legislator seeking re-election this year, except for Democratic Assemblyman Avi Schnall (D-Lakewood) and Republican lawmakers in the 10th, 12th, 13th, and 39th districts.

Instead of Schnall, the building trades went with former Assemblyman Ned Thomson (R-Wall), who is seeking to regain the seat he held until his upset defeat in 2023.  Thomson is the lone challenger in the state to nab a building trades endorsement.

In the hotly contested 8th district, the building trades split their support, backing incumbents Michael Torrissi, Jr. (R-Hammonton) and Andrea Katz (D-Chesterfield).

“In every corner of the state, the candidates we’ve endorsed—Democrats and Republicans alike— have demonstrated an understanding of the issues that matter to the working men and women of New Jersey’s building trades,” said William T. Mullen, the council president. “Our members want public officials who support fair wages, infrastructure investment, project labor agreements, and real pathways to the middle class through union apprenticeship and training. These candidates have shown they are ready to stand with us.”

In the governor’s race, Republican Jack Ciattarelli addressed union members yesterday, and Democrat Mikie Sherrill will speak to delegates today.

The state building trades council represents more than 150,000 members across fifteen affiliated trade unions and thirteen building trades councils

An endorsement went to State Sen. Benjie Wimberly (D-Paterson) in the 35th district special election to fill the remaining 25 months of the term now-Rep. Nelie Pou (D-North Haledon) won two years ago.

Additional Democratic incumbents endorsed: Heather Simmons (D-Glassboro) and Dave Bailey Jr. (D-Woodstown), District 3; Dan Hutchison (D-Gloucester Township) and Cody Miller (D-Monroe District 4; William Moen Jr. (D-Camden) and William Spearman (D-Camden), District 5; Louis Greenwald (D-Voorhees) and Melinda Kane (D-Cherry Hill), District 6; Carol Murphy (D-Mount Laurel) and Balvir Singh (D-Burlington Township), District 7; Margie Donlon (D-Ocean Twp.) and Luanne Peterpaul (D-Long Branch), District 11; Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton) and Tennille McCoy (D-Plainsboro), District 14; Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Trenton) and Anthony Verrelli (D-Hopewell), District 15; Roy Freiman (D-Hillsborough) and Mitchelle Drulis (D-Raritan), District 16; Annette Quijano (D-Elizabeth), District 20; Kevin Egan (D-New Brunswick) and Joe Danielsen (D-Franklin Twp.), District 17; Robert Karabinchak (D-Edison) and Sterley Stanley (D-East Brunswick), District 18; Craig Coughlin (D-Woodbridge) and Yvonne Lopez (D-Perth Amboy), District 19; James Kennedy (D-Rahway) and Linda Carter (D-Plainfield), District 22; Rosy Bagolie (D-Livingston) and Alixon Collazos-Gill (D-Montclair), District 27; Cleopatra Tucker (D-Newark) District 28; Eliana Pintor Marin (D-Newark) and Shanique Speight (D-Newark), District 29; William Sampson (D-Bayonne); District 31; Gabriel Rodriguez (D-West New York), District 33; Carmen Morales (D-Belleville) and Michael Venezia (D-Bloomfield), District 34; Al Abdelaziz (D-Paterson), District 35; Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) and Clinton Calabrese (D-Cliffside Park), District 36; Shama Haider (D-Tenafly) and Ellen Park (D-Englewood Cliffs), District 37; and Lisa Swain (D-Fair Lawn) and Chris Tully (D-Bergenfield), District 38.

Additional Republican incumbents endorsed: Erik Simonsen (R-Lower) and Antwan McClellan (R-Ocean City), District 1; Don Guardian (R-Atlantic City) and Claire Swift (R-Margate), District 2; Brian Rumpf (R-Little Egg Harbor) and Gregory Myhre (R-Stafford), District 9; Nancy Munoz (R-Summit) and Michele Matsikoudis (R-New Providence), District 21; John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown) and Erik Peterson (R-Franklin), District 23; Dawn Fantasia (R-Franklin) and Michael Inganamort (R-Chester), District 24; Aura Dunn (R-Mendham) and Christian Barranco (R-Jefferson), District 25; Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains) and Brian Bergen (R-Denville), District 26; Sean Kean (R-Wall), District 30; and Christopher DePhillips (R-Wyckoff) and Al Barlas (R-Cedar Grove), District 40.

The building trades are backing seven non-incumbents running for open seats: Edward Rodriguez (D-Elizabeth, District 20; Chigozie Onyema (D-Newark), District 28; Jerry Walker (D-Jersey City), District 31; Katie Brennan (D-Jersey City) and Ravi Bhalla (D-Hoboken), District 32; Larry Wainstein (D-North Bergen), District 33; and Kenya Stewart (D-Paterson), District 35.

No endorsements were offered in districts currently represented by eight Republicans: Greg McGuckin (R-Toms River) and Paul Kanita (R-Point Pleasant Beach), District 10; Rob Clifton (R-Matawan) and Alex Sauickie (R-Jackson), District 12; Gerald Scharfenberger (R-Middletown) and Vicky Flynn (R-Holmdel), District 13; and Bob Auth (R-Old Tappan) and John Azzariti (R-Saddle River), District 39.

Mullen noted that he will pay special attention to three incumbents who are building trades union members: DeAngelo, Verrelli and Egan.

“Especially in today’s climate, we believe it’s critical to support candidates who value unity over division, and who see organized labor not as a partisan talking point—but as a foundation for a strong, inclusive economy,”