Applying IHRA Litmus Test to Working Family Party Assembly Picks for NJ June 10 Democratic Primary Contest
Editor’ s Note: On March 19 this editor received a letter from Working Family Party of NJ (WfP-NJ) – probably along with many others they have on their mailing list asking for feedback on determininig who their Gubernatorial pick should be for 2025. I wrote back stressing that their analysis of the candidates should consider their stand on the repressive IHRA legislation that NJ Democrats and Republicans seem hell bent on passing in NJ. I did not get an answer from WfP NJ and I do not know if my advice was heeded. WfP-NJ recently released its favored picks of 13 Assembly candidates vying for Democratic Nomination in the June 10, 2025 primary election. It is unclear if IHRA stance was considered and their picks are a mixed bag on this topic. The following applies the IHRA test to the 13 picks of WfP-NJ.
Many of the progressive groups in NJ that are active in various issue based struggles do not themselves have published positions on IHRA. I would like to first and foremost publicly challenge WfP-NJ to announce where IT stands on this issue. Lack of concern for IHRA opposition would suggest an incomplete defintion of what is a “NJ working family”. Hopefully they and other NJ progressive grousp can begin to recognize the importance of this issue and join the fight to defeat the Trump based NJ IHRA proposed laws once and for all.
At a time when people all across the board are under attack, Democrats and progressive organizations should not be invienting fake accusations of anti-semitism for Palestine advocates as another reason to come for us!
FIGHTBACKBETTER EDITOR’S IHRA ANALYSIS OF 13 CANDIDATES FAVORED BY NJ WORKING FAMILY PARTY FOR NOMINATION IN THE NJ DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY:
First the good news. FightBackBetter believes that the following picks of the “Working Families Party 13” are in opposition to the proposed encoding of the IHRA phony definition of anti-semitism based upon opposition to Israel. So 5 of the 13 are “good” per this editor on being solidly opposed to IHRA. Rest assured that those who state their opposition to IHRA clearly – our networks will do our best to communicate your positions to interested voters.
| IHRA Status | |
| Carolyn Rush, Legislative District 1 | Made Statement Opposed |
| Brandon Saffold, Legislative District 1 | Made Statement Opposed |
| IHRA Status | |
| Brian Everett, Legislative District 4 | Made Tweet Opposed |
| IHRA Status | |
| Katie Brennan, Legislative District 32 | Stated to FBB Editor Opposed |
| Al Abdelaziz, Legislative District 35* | Known to be opposed |
THE BAD NEWS – FOLLOWING PICKS SUPPORT IHRA
This FIghtBackBetter editor urges Working Family Party of NJ to withdraw support of the following 2 candidates who have known positions in favor of the fascist repression that the IHRA bill will bring. We also urge all voters in the respective legislative districts to urge these candidates to withdraw support from IHRA and to make clear you will not vote for them based upon their IHRA position. Furthermore we urge the voters to also reach out to the other candidates in these LD’s to determine if opponents of IHRA can be identified so the voters know if there are any choices that oppose the fascist proposed laws on June 10:
| IHRA Status | |
| Alizon Collazos-Gill, Legislative District 27* | Incumbent and IHRA Bill Co-sponsor |
| Daniel Park, Legislative District 37 | Supports the IHRA Bill as does his partner Tamara Warburg, one incumbent on and one off bill |
THE UNKNOWNS
Many Assembly candidates have yet to announced positions on IHRA. The best assumption voters can make about those candidates is that they are supportive of IHRA. Those who are quiet on this issue should not be supported. But to be clear – the following list of WFP-NJ picks are not necessarily quiet – their position is currently unknown by this editor. It is possible they could have a good position – we need to find out! I would like to work together with the voters in each of these LD’s to approach these candidates to get clarification of their positions:
| IHRA Status | |
| Rebecca “Becky” Holloway, Legislative District 6 | Position unknown – 2 incumbent Dems co-sponsor bill |
| Kevin Ryan, Legislative District 6 | Position unknown – 2 incumbent Dems co-sponsor bill |
| Loretta Rivers, Legislative District 17 | Position unknown – 1 of 2 incumbent Dems co-sponsor bill |
| Chigozie Onyema, Legislative District 28 | Position unknown – 1 incumbent Dems co-sponsor bill (Garnet Hall – reportedly withdrawing) |
| Barbara McCann-Stomato, Legislative District 31* | Incumbent – not on bill – other incumbent is – position unkown |
| Damali Robinson, Legislative District 38 | Position unknown – 2 incumbent Dems co-sponsor bill |
COMPLETE ASSEMBLY ANALYSIS IN THE WORKS
FightBackBetter is working on a complete assembly candidacy analysis of all 40 LDs regarding the primary Democratic Party nomination election on June 10, 2025. The assumption is not to even bother with the Republican candidates as they are aligned with the Trump crackdown against all of us openly. This editor has no advice to Republican primary voters.
