The statewide slate of Assembly candidates allied with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop is expanding into Essex County, with Belleville Councilman Frank Vélez III and former East Orange Councilwoman Brittany Claybrooks announcing that they will run in the 34th district.
That pits Vélez and Claybrooks against freshmen incumbents Michael Venezia (D-Bloomfield) and Carmen Morales (D-Belleville).
“Frank and Brittany have been successful, even without having resources to compete with the big political bosses in New Jersey,” said Fulop, the three-term mayor of Jersey City. “The resource gap is about to change and I think they will be successful, not only in this campaign, but in helping to change New Jersey.”
Claybrooks, 33, served as North Jersey political director for Andy Kim’s campaign for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination before leaving to run for Congress following the death of Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-Newark). She finished fifth in a field of eleven candidates in a July special primary election with 5.2%; the winner, now-Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark), received 47.4%.
“Government is meant to make life better, and it’s meant to make life easier,” Claybrooks said. “I am thrilled to be part of the Fulop campaign, as we share the same values such as making our public system transparent and accountable and serving every resident in this great state.”
So far, Claybrooks is the only Black Assembly candidate in a legislative district that is 44% Black.
The 23-year-old Vélez is a former aide to the late Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-Paterson) and spent three years as a Belleville school board member. He won an open 2nd Ward council seat in the May 2024 non-partisan municipal election with a 54%-41% victory.
“I’ve spent my career working to advocate for the families of my community. I’m excited to join a campaign that is committed to breaking away from the party boss mentality to fight for our residents instead,” said Vélez. “Our New Jersey families deserve candidates who will unite our voters and bring real and much-needed change to our government.”
Fulop called the two candidates “leaders do the work on the ground and make an impact without fanfare.”
“Brittany was building with Andy Kim when few thought he could win and Frank has broken down barriers when people thought someone that young wouldn’t have a shot,” stated Fulop. “We have two future stars here in the New Jersey Democratic Party and I couldn’t be more honored to support and run with them.”
Venezia, the former Bloomfield mayor, and Morales, a school principal, were elected to the State Assembly in 2023 in a newly-drawn district that includes Eats Orange, Orange, Bloomfield, Belleville, Nutley and Glen Ridge. The newly drawn district is a plurality Black seat north of Newark that was assembled together from several existing districts. State Sen. Britnee Timberlake (D-East Orange) is not up for re-election until 2027.
Neither of the incumbents have used their first year in office to stockpile campaign cash: as of September 30, Venezia had $21,934 cash-on-hand while Morales had just $6,266.
In April, Fulop pledged to spend $10 million to recruit candidates who would be independent of county chairs if they serve in the state legislature.
He recently announced that Tamar Warburg, a Teaneck Democratic leader and general counsel of the Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest NJ, and Tenafly Councilman Dan Park will take on Assemblywomen Shama Haider (D-Tenafly) and Ellen Park (D-Englewood Cliffs).
Team Fulop Assembly candidates include Evesham Councilman Eddie Freeman III in the 8th district, where each party is defending one seat, along with Lisa Bonanno in the 2nd, Brian Everett in the 4th, Rashan Prailow in the 5th, and Rebecca Holloway and Kevin Ryan in the 6th.
Four Hudson lawmakers – Barbara McCann (D-Jersey City), John Allen (D-Hoboken), Jessica Ramirez (D-Jersey City), and Julio Marenco (D-North Bergen) – have committed to running with Fulop, although it remains unclear whether Allen will seek re-election to a second term.