NJ’s Assembly Race – 22 Opportunities to Protect First Amendment Rights
First – here is my unpopular opinion – I suggest that you withhold your vote from anyone who is either quiet about their position on IHRA, who is an incumbent who is on the IHRA bill in the assembly or is known to be supportive of the bill. That means in most of the LDs across NJ there is no way to vote in favor of our First Amendment protected free speech rights – when it comes to opposing US policy in support of Israel.
For the purposes of this effort – this editor has precluded any consideration for Republican candidates. Their lord and master in front of 800 US generals called for military attack on our cities and a war against an enemy from within – the Republicans basically are allied with a massacre.
All of those democrats that are supportive or silent on IHRA in effect also support the Trump plans to harm, attack physically, incarcerate illegally and otherwise desrtoy us. An IHRA supporting Democrat might as well have “I Love Trump” tattooed to their foreheads because supporting IHRA aids the Trump crack down. Most NJ Democrat candidates for Assembly are in this category unfortunately. Here is the worksheet with the details as known as of today. I am reaching out yet again to those whose positions are unknown and will update this article with any corrections identified.
DO NOT CAST VOTES FOR REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES
Assume the Republicans are fascist based upon their association with Jack Ciattarelli and Trump. Do not vote for Republicans in the NJ 2025 elections at any level.
CONSIDER SUPPORT FOR CANDIDATES WHO DEFEND OUR FREE SPEECH RIGHTS
Fortunately there are as of now 23 candidates for those in the respective LDs to defend free speech protections in NJ. We are hoping that by the time election rolls around there could be more from the unknown list who make their positions known. Please consider supporting these candidates – links have been added to their campaign sites:
| Office | Against IHRA click name for campaign site |
| District 1 | Carolyn Rush |
| District 2 | Maureen Rowan |
| District 5 | Robin Brownfield (Green Party) |
| District 7 | Balvir Singh (i) |
| District 9 | Lisa Bennett |
| District 11 | Felicia Simmons (We the People) |
| District 12 | Freshta Taeb |
| District 14 | Steven Welzer (Green Party) |
| District 17 | Joseph Danielsen (i) Kevin Egan (i) |
| District 23 | Guy Citron Tyler Powell |
| District 24 | Lana Leguia (Libertarian) |
| District 28 | Chigozie U. Onyema |
| District 32 | Ravinder Bhalla Katie Brennan |
| District 33 | Gabriel Rodriguez (i) Larry Wainstein |
| District 34 | Carmen Morales (i) Michael Venezia (i) |
| District 35 | Alaa Abdelaziz (i) |
| District 37 | Shama Haider (i) |
| District 39 | Donna Abene |
DO NOT CAST VOTES FOR DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES WHO ARE ON THE IHRA BILL
In the Assembly there are currently 59 out of 80 assembly members on the Asm A3558 bill which will lead to fierce repression of those of us (this editor included) who are opposed to US support for genocidal Israel. 34 incumbent Democrats out of a total of 52 Democrats in the Assembly are sponsors or co-sponsore (67% of elected Democrats) and 24 of the 28 elected Assembly Republicans are on the bill (86% of elected Republicans). Does that sound like an opposition party ? These Democrats are the ones telling us to trust them to fight Trump and they are united on an overwhelming basis with Trump and Republicans in the Assembly in support of fascist definition of anti-semitism – being pushed by Israel – so that Israel can shut down any and all criticism. Who else is trying to do that to us? Trump! Why are Democrats helping? Ask them!
The following are the Democratic Party incumbents who are running for re-election and supporting fascism. FightBackBetterI recomment that you do not vote for them. You should not vote for Republican fascists either. If there is no independent or Green Party candidate (there are only about 3 all together) this editor recommends that you either do not vote for the candidate or write in – “Free Speech” or somesuch. If you are a candidate who supports our repression you do not deserve our vote period – that is FightBackBetter position.
| LD | On Bill | LD | On Bill |
| District 3 | Simmons, Heather Bailey, David, Jr. | District 18 | Robert J. Karabinchak (i) Sterley S. Stanley (i) |
| District 4 | Dan Hutchison (i) Cody Miller (i) | District 19 | Yvonne Lopez (i) |
| District 5 | William F. Moen Jr. (i) William W. Spearman (i) | District 20 | Annette Quijano (i) |
| District 6 | Greenwald, Louis D. Kane, Melinda | District 22 | Linda Carter (i) James Kennedy (i) |
| District 7 | Murphy, Carol A. | District 27 | Rosy Bagolie Collazos-Gill, Alixon |
| District 11 | Margie M. Donlon (i) Luanne M. Peterpaul (i) | District 31 | William Sampson (i) |
| District 14 | Wayne P. DeAngelo (i) Tennille R. McCoy (i) | District 36 | Clinton Calabrese (i) Gary Schaer (i) |
| District 15 | Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (i) Anthony S. Verrelli (i) | District 37 | Ellen Park (i) |
| District 16 | Mitchelle Drulis (i) Roy Freiman (i) | District 38 | Lisa Swain (i) P. Christopher Tully (i) |
WITHHOLD SUPPORT FROM DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATES WHO HAVE NO POSITION ON IHRA
The following are the ones that this edftor has not been able to pin down as having position on IHRA – most have been asked already and have ignored. We will make another attempt at contacting them at their Facebook campaign page but we are not too hopeful that they will speak up now. If you are in these LDs the suggestion is to reach out to them and ask for their position – explaining that you are not trusting anyone’s silence on this top level of importance issues. If you get an answer from one of them opposing IHRA please provide details to this editor.
| Office | Silent / Unknown | Office | Silent / Unknown |
| District 1 | Carol Sabo | District 25 | Steven Pylypchuk Marisa Sweeney |
| District 2 | Joanne Famularo | District 26 | Michael Mancuso Walter Mielarczyk |
| District 8 | Andrea Katz (i) Anthony Angelozzi | District 28 | Cleopatra Tucker (i) |
| District 9 | Rosalee Keech | District 29 | Eliana Pintor Marin (i) Shanique Speight (i) |
| District 10 | Janine Bauer Gigi Esparza | District 30 | Joanne Debenedictis |
| District 12 | Kyler Dineen | District 31 | Jerry Walker |
| District 13 | Jason Corley Vaibhav Gorige Eduardo Castillo (Write-in) | District 33 | |
| District 17 | District 35 | Kenyatta Stewart | |
| District 20 | Ed Rodriguez | District 39 | Andrew LaBruno |
| District 21 | Vincent Kearney Andrew Macurdy | District 40 | Ron Arnau Jeffrey Gates |
| District 24 | Steve Barratt Eugene Grinberg |
