On Tuesday, Nov. 2, voters across New Jersey will head to the polls to cast ballots for their ballots to fill all 80 seats in the state Assembly and 40 seats in the state Senate.
The 26th legislative district is made up of 13 municipalities the district includes the Essex County communities of Fairfield, North Caldwell, Verona and West Caldwell; the Morris County municipalities of Butler, Jefferson Township, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Montville, Morris Plains, Parsippany-Troy Hills and Rockaway Township; along with the Passaic County community of West Milford.
As of July, 35% the district’s registered 217,839 voters identify as Republican, while 28% are Democrats and 36% are Independents.
The district’s Republican incumbent State Sen. Joe Pennacchio is seeking a fifth term and Assemblyman Jay Webber his eight. The two are running with Christian Barranco, who upset Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce in the June primary.
The Democrats all-female slate consists of environmental activist Christine Clarke is for State Senate along with Pamela Fadden and Melissa Brown Blaeuer in their bid for an
Assembly seat.
Here is a rundown of who is running for a seat in the State Legislature in the 26th District.
State Senate
Republican: Joe Pennacchio (Incumbent)
Bio: Pennacchio earned his B.S. in biology from Brooklyn College and his D.D.S from New York University College of Dentistry. His professional experience includes working as a dentist at the Mount Arlington Family and Cosmetic Dental Associates. First elected in 2008 to the State Senate, Pennacchio has served on the Economic Growth and Senate Military and Veterans’ Affairs committees the last two years.
North-JerseyNews.com Fact: Pennacchio, the co-chair of the President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign in New Jersey in 2020, has been a leading critic of Gov. Phil Murphy and his decisions during the coronavirus pandemic. He has pushed for a bipartisan select committee to review the Murphy Administration’s decision and even held a series of hearings with other GOP lawmakers this year.
Democrat: Christine Clarke
Bio: Clarke, an environmental advocate and grassroots organizer, is running to build the clean energy economy, improve healthcare and lower costs, protect clean air and water, and lead with empathy and fiscal sense. Topping her agenda includes promoting job growth, new revenue and exponential economic gains of the booming renewable energy market to thrive here and benefit New Jersey.
North-JerseyNews.com Fact: A mother of four, Clarke serves as municipal chair of the Jefferson Township Democratic Committee, the former Environmental Director at Action Together New Jersey, and was an early organizer with NJ 11th For Change. Her experience includes organizing grassroots calls to action, free public educational forums and live streamed events bringing people together around renewable energy and environmental conservation.
State Assembly
Republican: Jay Webber (Incumbent)
Bio: Webber earned his B.A. in international studies from Johns Hopkins University in 1994 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. His professional experience includes working as an attorney for Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. An Assemblyman since 2008, the Morris County resident served on the Appropriations and Financial Institutions and Insurance committees in the Assembly during his last term
North-JerseyNews.com Fact: Webber has been endorsed by The National Federation of Independent Businesses and the New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police.
Republican: Christian Barranco
Bio: A member of IBEW local 102 for 17 years, Barranco previously served on the Pompton Lakes Borough Council (2017-2019) and as a member of the Pompton Lakes Republican County Committee (2014-2019). In 2013, Chris won the nomination of the Passaic County Regular Republican Committee for Freeholder.
North-JerseyNews.com Fact: In defeating the five-term Assemblywoman DeCroce, Barranco’s campaign focused on the belief that New Jersey needs drastic change to make the state more affordable and livable for working people—especially middle-class families—and ran ads that called DeCroce “a fake Republican.”
Democrat: Melissa Brown Blaeuer
Bio: A West Milford resident, Blaeuer’s professional experience includes working in design, communications, and technology and founding of Sherpa the World, LLC.
North-JerseyNews.com Fact: Blaeuer’s bipartisan credentials include as being a Democrat appointed by a Republican mayor to my second term on the Economic Development Commission. She touts a record of being involved and getting good things done in local government, including economic development, environmental stewardship, recreation, beautification, tourism, and municipal utilities.
Democrat: Pamela Fadden
Bio: Fadden, an educator who is active in the teacher’s union, says she is “is laser focused on practical outcomes.”
North-JerseyNews.com Fact: As a union negotiator, Fadden has focused on advocating for the quality of education for both teachers and students as well as for the infrastructure of our schools — air quality and the heating system. She said she would focus on modernizing schools, if elected.
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