Lakewood Vaad endorses Cory Booker, Chris Smith in November election

The Lakewood Vaad, an enormously influential group of Orthodox Jewish religious and community leaders, has endorsed Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and Republican Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Manchester) for re-election in November.

The Vaad, whose endorsements carry considerable weight among Lakewood’s large Orthodox Jewish population, is also backing Republican Ocean County Commissioner Frank Sadeghi for another term.

At the municipal level, the organization is supporting Democratic Mayor Raymond Coles and Republican Township Committeewoman Deborah Fuentes for re-election, continuing its tradition of bipartisan endorsements.

Coles and Fuentes face Republican Moshe Raitzik and Democrat Samantha Stokes in the contest for two seats on the five-member Township Committee.

The Vaad also weighed in on three seats on the Lakewood Board of Education, endorsing incumbents Samuel Melnik and Harriet Westbrook Goldberg for re-election.

No candidate filed for the third seat, prompting the Vaad to support a write-in campaign for incumbent Abraham Reich.

The organization is also urging voters to reject a public question involving the school board.

In the contest for two seats on the Lakewood Board of Fire Commissioners, the Vaad is backing incumbents David Bender and Harrison Pfeffer over challenger Larry “Levi” Loigman.

The Vaad has long been a significant force in Ocean County politics, and candidates from both parties closely watch its endorsements as they seek support in one of New Jersey’s fastest-growing communities.

Its political influence extends well beyond municipal elections, making its support a potentially valuable asset in countywide, congressional and statewide races.

The organization has a history of crossing party lines, frequently endorsing candidates based on their relationships with the Orthodox Jewish community and their positions on issues affecting Lakewood residents.

Lakewood backed Donald Trump in 2024 by 76 percentage points, and GOP gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli by 81 points.  But the staunchly Republican township as a Democratic mayor (Coles) and a Democratic assembyman, Avi Schnall (D-Lakewood).