Republican National Committeewoman Janice Fields has resigned her seat as the GOP state committeewoman from New Jersey, paving the way for Brittany Wheeler, a political ally of gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, to replace her.
Fields was elected to the RNC post in June with the endorsement of President-elect Donald Trump after Virginia Haines declined to seek re-election after 20 years in office. She will remain on the Bernards Township Committee, where she is a former mayor.
“Janice is a tremendous asset to our organization, and I am grateful for all her support and personal sacrifice for the betterment of our party,” said Somerset County GOP Chair Tracy DiFrancesco. “Janice has always been a selfless and staunch supporter of women in our party.”
In her resignation letter, Fields recommended Wheeler as her replacement.
“In 2016, when I first became involved with the SCRO, Chairman (Al) Gaburo told me, ‘You need to sit down with Janice,’ and I have been seeking her help and guidance ever since,” Wheeler said. “I am thrilled that she is now serving at the national level and extremely proud of her success. Having the opportunity to serve Chairwoman DiFrancesco and the Somerset County Republican Organization at the state level is an honor and privilege.”
A veteran political operative who has managed several campaigns and worked for two state legislators, Wheeler served as political director of Ciattarelli’s 2017 and 2021 campaigns and is now the vice president and director of government affairs for the New Jersey Bankers Association.
Fields said when she first became state committeewoman in 2010, she “ made a commitment to myself, my party and my country that I would always conduct myself with integrity and make decisions based on what is best for my party and organization.”
“I hope to continue in this tradition serving in my new role at the national level. I would like to thank everyone who has supported and trusted me over the years,” she said.