New Jersey has never sent a woman to the U.S. Senate.
| Name | Party | Year(s) Served |
|---|---|---|
| Mikie Sherrill | D | 2019-present |
| Bonnie Watson Coleman | D | 2015-present |
| Marge Roukema | R | 1981-2002 |
| Millicent Fenwick | R | 1975-1982 |
| Helen S. Meyner | D | 1975-1978 |
| Florence P. Dwyer | R | 1957-1972 |
| Mary Teresa Norton | D | 1925-1950 |
In 2018, Sheila Oliver (D) took office as New Jersey's second lieutenant governor. She is the first woman of color and the first Black woman elected to statewide office in NJ. In New Jersey, the governor and lieutenant governor, elected together, are the only statewide elected officials. Christine Todd Whitman, New Jersey’s first (and to date, only) woman governor, served from 1994-2001.
Number includes the women currently serving in Governor Phil Murphy's cabinet.
| Name | Position | Year(s) Active |
|---|---|---|
| Sheila Oliver | Community Affairs Commissioner | 1/17/18-present |
| Tahesha Way | Secretary of State | 2/9/18-present |
| Deirdre Webster Cobb | Civil Service Commission Chair | 4/13/18-present |
| Elizabeth Muoio | State Treasurer | 4/13/18-present |
| Sue Fulton | Motor Vehicle Commission Chair | 4/19/18-present |
| Christine Norbut Beyer | Commissioner of Children and Families | 6/20/18-present |
| Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti | Transportation Commissioner | 6/20/18-present |
| Marlene Caride | Banking & Insurance Commissioner | 6/26/18-present |
| Beth Noveck | Chief Innovation Officer | 8/13/18-present |
| Judith Persichilli | Health Commissioner | 8/5/19-present |
| Lisa J. Hou | Adjutant General | 10/16/20-present |
| Angelica Allen-McMillan | Acting Education Commissioner | 10/20/20-present |
| Sarah Adelman | Acting Human Services Commissioner | 1/16/21-present |
| Laurie Doran | Director of Homeland Security | 6/4/21-present |
| Victoria Kuhn | Acting Corrections Commissioner | 6/8/21-present |
| Carole Johnson | Human Service Commissioner | 4/3/18-1/15/21 |
| Zakiya Smith Ellis | Higher Education Secretary | 6/17/18-7/5/20 |
| Catherine McCabe | Environmental Protection Commissioner | 6/19/18-1/15/21 |
New Jersey ranks 15th among the 50 states in the proportion of women serving in its legislature. Women of color make up 54.8% of all women in the New Jersey legislature: 63.6% of women in the Senate and 51.6% of women in the Assembly.
| Name | Party | Position | Race/Ethnicity | Year(s) Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renee C. Burgess | D | State Senator | Black | 2022-present |
| Linda Carter | D | State Representative | Black | 2018-present |
| Annette Chaparro | D | State Representative | Latina | 2016-2023 |
| Kristin Corrado | R | State Senator | White | 2017-present |
| Nilsa Cruz-Perez | D | State Senator | Latina | 2014-present |
| Sandra B. Cunningham | D | State Senator | Black | 2007-2023 |
| DeAnne DeFuccio | R | State Representative | White | 2021-2023 |
| Aura K. Dunn | R | State Representative | White | 2019-present |
| Kimberly Eulner | R | State Representative | White | 2022-2023 |
| Vicky Flynn | R | State Representative | White | 2022-present |
| Nia H. Gill | D | State Senator | Black | 2002-2023 |
| DiAnne C. Gove | R | State Representative | White | 2009-2023 |
| Linda R. Greenstein | D | State Senator | White | 2010-present |
| Shama A. Haider | D | State Representative | Asian American/Pacific Islander | 2022-present |
| Sadaf Jaffer | D | State Representative | Asian American/Pacific Islander | 2022-2023 |
| Mila M. Jasey | D | State Representative | Black | 2007-2023 |
| Angelica M. Jimenez | D | State Representative | Latina | 2012-2023 |
| Pamela R. Lampitt | D | State Representative | White | 2006-present |
| Yvonne Lopez | D | State Representative | Latina | 2018-present |
| Michelle Matsikoudis | R | State Representative | White | 2022-present |
| Bethanne McCarthy Patrick | R | State Representative | White | 2022-2023 |
| Angela V. McKnight | D | State Representative | Black | 2016-2023 |
| Gabriela M. Mosquera | D | State Representative | Latina | 2012-2023 |
| Nancy F. Munoz | R | State Representative | White | 2009-present |
| Carol Murphy | D | State Representative | White | 2018-present |
| Ellen Park | D | State Representative | Asian American/Pacific Islander | 2022-present |
| Eliana Pintor Marin | D | State Representative | White | 2013-present |
| Marilyn J. Piperno | R | State Representative | White | 2022-2023 |
| Nellie Pou | D | State Senator | Latina | 2012-present |
| Annette Quijano | D | State Representative | Latina | 2008-present |
| Verlina Reynolds-Jackson | D | State Representative | Black | 2018-present |
| M. Teresa Ruiz | D | State Senator | Latina | 2008-present |
| Beth Sawyer | R | State Representative | White | 2022-2023 |
| Holly T. Schepisi | R | State Senator | White | 2021-present |
| Shanique Speight | D | State Representative | Black | 2018-present |
| Jean Stanfield | R | State Senator | White | 2022-2023 |
| Shavonda E. Sumter | D | State Representative | Black | 2012-present |
| Lisa Swain | D | State Representative | White | 2018-present |
| Claire Swift | R | State Representative | White | 2022-present |
| Britnee Timberlake | D | State Representative | Black | 2018-2023 |
| Cleopatra G. Tucker | D | State Representative | Black | 2008-present |
| Shirley K. Turner | D | State Senator | Black | 1998-present |
Sheila Y. Oliver (D), served as speaker of the Assembly from 2011-2013. Oliver is only the second Black woman in the nation to serve as a speaker of a lower house. One woman previously served as speaker of the New Jersey Assembly. Marion West Higgins (R) became speaker in 1965, only the third woman in the nation to be speaker of a state house. She served as acting governor on occasion when Governor Richard Hughes traveled out of state.
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| M. Teresa Ruiz (D-29) | Majority Leader |
| Sandra B. Cunningham (D-31) | President Pro Tempore |
| Linda R. Greenstein (D-14) | Assistant Majority Leader |
| Nellie Pou (D-35) | Majority Caucus Chair |
| Kristin Corrado (R-40) | Republican Conference Leader |
| Holly T. Schepisi (R-39) | Deputy Republican Conference Leader |
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Annette Quijano (D-20) | Majority Conference Leader |
| Pamela R. Lampitt (D-6) | Deputy Speaker |
| Mila M. Jasey (D-27) | Deputy Speaker |
| Angelica M. Jimenez (D-32) | Deputy Speaker |
| Yvonne Lopez (D-19) | Deputy Speaker |
| Angela V. McKnight (D-31) | Deputy Majority Leader |
| Gabriela M. Mosquera (D-4) | Deputy Majority Leader |
| Annette Chaparro (D-33) | Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore |
| Shanique Speight (D-29) | Deputy Parlimentarian |
| Carol A. Murphy (D-7) | Majority Whip |
| Lisa Swain (D-38) | Assembly Appropriations Chair |
| Linda S. Carter (D-22) | Deputy Whip |
| Eliana Pintor Marin (D-29) | Assembly Budget Chair |
| Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-15) | Constituent Outreach Chair |
| Nancy F. Munoz (R-21) | Deputy Minority Leader |
| Serena DiMaso (R-13) | Deputy Republican Whip |
| Name | Committee |
|---|---|
| Nellie Pou (D-35) | Commerce |
| Nilsa Cruz Perez (D-5) | Economic Growth |
| Sandra B. Cunningham (D-31) | Higher Education |
| Linda Greenstein (D-14) | Law and Public Safety |
| Name | Committee |
|---|---|
| Angela McKnight (D-31) | Aging and Senior Services |
| Lisa Swain (D-38) | Appropriations |
| Eliana Pintor Marin (D-2) | Budget |
| Britnee N. Timberlake (D-34) | Commerce and Economic Development |
| Shavonda Sumter (D-35) | Community Development Affairs |
| Pamela Lampitt (D-6) | Education |
| Mila M. Jasey (D-27) | Higher Education |
| Shanique Speight (D-29) | Homeland Security and State Preparedness |
| Yvonne Lopez (D-19) | Housing |
| Angelica Jimenez (D-32) | Human Services |
| Cleopatra G. Tucker (D-28) | Military and Veterans Affairs |
| Gabriela M. Mosquera (D-4) | Women and Children |
Among the five counties in New Jersey that elect executives, no woman currently holds that title.
Five women serve as commissioner chairs, directors or presidents. Women serve as commissioners in 20 of the state’s 21 counties. The county with no women commissioners is Salem.
Eight Black women (Cooper, Garretson, Graham, Hopson, McCullum, Pearson, Robinson, and Williams), eight Latinas (Aponte-Lipski, Azcona-Barber, Betteridge, Cedeno, Leon, Ortiz, Rodriguez, and Sooey) and one Asian American/Pacific Islander woman (Narra) currently serve as commissioners.
| Name and Party | County |
|---|---|
| Caren Fitzpatrick (D) | Atlantic |
| Amy L. Gatto (R) | Atlantic |
| Maureen Kern (R), Chair | Atlantic |
| Mary Amoroso (D) | Bergen |
| Germaine M. Ortiz (D) | Bergen |
| Joan Voss (D) | Bergen |
| Tracy Silna Zur (D), Chair | Bergen |
| Allison Eckel (D) | Burlington |
| Felicia Hopson (D) | Burlington |
| Melinda Kane (D) | Camden |
| Virginia Betteridge (D) | Camden |
| E. Marie Hayes (R) | Cape May |
| Darlene Barber (D) | Cumberland |
| Carol Musso (D) | Cumberland |
| Donna Pearson (D) | Cumberland |
| Tyshammie L. Cooper (D) | Essex |
| Romaine Graham (D) | Essex |
| Patricia Sebold (D) | Essex |
| Denice DiCarlo (D) | Gloucester |
| Heather Simmons (D) | Gloucester |
| Yraida Aponte Lipski (D) | Hudson |
| Fanny Cedeno (D) | Hudson |
| Caridad Rodriguez (D) | Hudson |
| Susan Soloway (D) | Hunterdon |
| Kristin L. McLaughlin (D) | Mercer |
| Nina Melker (D), Chair | Mercer |
| Lucylle Walter (D) | Mercer |
| Clary Azcona Barber (D) | Middlesex |
| Leslie Koppel (D) | Middlesex |
| Chanelle Scott McCullum (D) | Middlesex |
| Shanti Narra (D) | Middlesex |
| Lillian G. Burry (R) | Monmouth |
| Susan M. Kiley (R) | Monmouth |
| Kathryn A. DeFillippo (R) | Morris |
| Deborah Smith (R) | Morris |
| Bobbi Jo Crea (R) | Ocean |
| Virginia Haines (R) | Ocean |
| Cassandra Lazzara (D) | Passaic |
| Melonie Marano (D) | Somerset |
| Shanel Robinson (D), Director | Somerset |
| Sara Sooey (D) | Somerset |
| Dawn Fantasia (R) | Sussex |
| Jill Space (R) | Sussex |
| Angela Garretson (D) | Union |
| Bette Jane Kowalski (D) | Union |
| Lourdes M. Leon (D) | Union |
| Kimberly Palmieri Mouded (D) | Union |
| Rebecca Williams (D), Chair | Union |
| Lori Ciesla (R) | Warren |
These women officials include: 11 county clerks, 1 sheriff and 10 surrogates.
Three Black women (Ireland-Imhof, Jalloh, Scott) and two Latinas (Cassanova, Cortes) currently serve in county constitutional offices.
| Name | County |
|---|---|
| Joanne Schwartz (D) | Burlington |
| Rita M. Rothberg (R) | Cape May |
| Celeste Riley (D) | Cumberland |
| Mary Melfi (R) | Hunterdon |
| Paula Sollami Covello (D) | Mercer |
| Nancy Pinkin (D) | Middlesex |
| Christine Giordano Hanlon (R) | Monmouth |
| Ann F. Grossi (R) | Morris |
| Danielle Ireland Imhof (D) | Passaic |
| Joanne Rajoppi (D) | Union |
| Holly Mackey (R) | Warren |
| Name and Party | County |
|---|---|
| Mildred S. Scott (D) | Middlesex |
| Name and Party | County |
|---|---|
| Michelle Gentek Meyer (D) | Camden |
| Susan Hoffman (R) | Hunterdon |
| Diane Gerofsky (D) | Mercer |
| Claribel Cortes (D) | Middlesex |
| Maureen Raisch (R) | Monmouth |
| Heather Darling (NP) | Morris |
| Zoila Cassanova (D) | Passaic |
| Nicki A. Burke (D) | Salem |
| Tina Jalloh (D) | Somerset |
| Susan Dinardo (NP) | Union |
| Name and Party | County |
|---|---|
| Diane Coleman (D) | Hudson |
Data as of March 2022.
Two Black women (Michele S. Delisfort, Tiffani A. Worthy), one Asian Pacific Islander (Susan Shin Angulo) and one multiracial woman (Jessica Rafeh who is Latina and MENA) serve as big city mayors.
| Name | Municipality | Population | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Shin Angulo | Cherry Hill Township | 71,245 | Camden |
| Theresa Berger | Howell Township | 51,952 | Monmouth |
| Joann Gattinelli | Washington Township | 47,753 | Gloucester |
| Jaclyn Veasy | Evesham Township | 45,188 | Burlington |
| Victoria Kilpatrick | Sayreville | 44,173 | Middlesex |
| Susan Cohen | Manalapan Township | 39,225 | Monmouth |
| Jessica Rafeh | Pennsauken Township | 35,728 | Camden |
| Maureen Fasano | Freehold Township | 34,679 | Monmouth |
| Tiffani A. Worthy | Willingboro Township | 32,005 | Burlington |
Data as of March 2022.
| Name | Municipality | County |
|---|---|---|
| Kim Horton | Absecon City | Atlantic |
| Rosemary Tuohy | Allamuchy Township | Warren |
| Loretta Gluckstein | Atlantic Highlands Borough | Monmouth |
| Patti Harris | Barrington Borough | Camden |
| Deborah Buzby-Cope | Bass River Township | Burlington |
| Colleen Lambert | Beach Haven Borough | Ocean |
| Angie D. Devanney | Berkeley Heights Township | Union |
| Phyllis A Magazzu | Berlin Township | Camden |
| Mary Jane Canose | Bernardsville Borough | Somerset |
| Vicky Papics | Bloomsbury Borough | Hunterdon |
| Jennifer L. Sciortino | Bordentown City | Burlington |
| Theresa Branella | Brooklawn Borough | Camden |
| Ashley Felice | Chatham Township | Morris |
| Jamila Odom Bremmer | Chesilhurst Borough | Camden |
| Janet Hoven | Chester Borough | Morris |
| Marcia Asdal | Chester Township | Morris |
| Stephanie Kravil | Cinnaminson Township | Burlington |
| Janice Kovach | Clinton Town | Hunterdon |
| Barbara Rogers | Cranbury Township | Middlesex |
| Kathleen Miller Prunty | Cranford Township | Union |
| Abigail O'Brien | Deerfield Township | Cumberland |
| Melinda Lannuzzi | Demarest Borough | Bergen |
| Carolyn Blackman | Dover Town | Morris |
| Dina M. Grilo | East Newark Borough | Hudson |
| Janice S Mironov | East Windsor Township | Mercer |
| Lisa Jiampetti | Egg Harbor City | Atlantic |
| Carolyn King-Sammons | Elk Township | Gloucester |
| Danielle Dipaola | Emerson Borough | Bergen |
| Elizabeth Owen | Estell Manor City | Atlantic |
| Colleen Mahr | Fanwood Borough | Union |
| Betsy Driver | Flemington Borough | Hunterdon |
| Sara Todisco | Garwood Borough | Union |
| Kristine Morieko | Glen Rock Borough | Bergen |
| Margaret "Peg" Phillips | Green Township | Sussex |
| Colleen Bianco Bezich | Haddonfield Borough | Camden |
| Jackie Guenego | Haworth Borough | Bergen |
| Michele Lee | High Bridge Borough | Hunterdon |
| Gayle Brill Mittler | Highland Park Borough | Middlesex |
| Carolyn Broullon | Highlands Borough | Monmouth |
| Dahlia Vertreese | Hillside Township | Union |
| Courtney Peters-Manning | Hopewell Township | Mercer |
| Marlene Lowande | Jamesburg Borough | Middlesex |
| Linda Karlovitch | Kenilworth Borough | Union |
| Collette J. Kennedy | Keyport Borough | Monmouth |
| Maureen Syrnick | Kingwood Township | Hunterdon |
| Adele Starrs | Knowlton Township | Warren |
| Mary Ann Wardlow | Lawnside Borough | Camden |
| Gina Laplaca | Lumberton Township | Burlington |
| Bettyann Cowling-Carson | Magnolia Borough | Camden |
| Sandy Nunes | Maple Shade Township | Burlington |
| Christine Serrano Glassner | Mendham Borough | Morris |
| Maggee Miggins | Millburn Township | Essex |
| Trina Mehr | Milltown Borough | Middlesex |
| Lisa M. Orndorf | Millville City | Cumberland |
| Devra Keenan | Montgomery Township | Somerset |
| Nicole Gillespie | Moorestown Township | Burlington |
| Linda H Schwager | Oakland Borough | Bergen |
| Dianne Camelo Didio | Oradell Borough | Bergen |
| Gina Ragomo Tait | Palmyra Borough | Burlington |
| Ladaena D. Thomas | Penns Grove Borough | Salem |
| Kyle Russell | Pequannock Township | Morris |
| Judy M. Ward | Pleasantville City | Atlantic |
| Monica Niki Giberson | Port Republic City | Atlantic |
| Marjorie Sperry | Quinton Township | Salem |
| Deirdre A Dillon | Ramsey Borough | Bergen |
| Mary Potter | Randolph Township | Morris |
| Suzanne Cairns Wells | Riverton Borough | Burlington |
| Peggy Malkin | Roosevelt Borough | Monmouth |
| Caryl "Chris" Shoffner | South Bound Brook Borough | Somerset |
| Jackie Palmer | Spotswood Borough | Middlesex |
| Jennifer Naughton | Spring Lake Borough | Monmouth |
| Patricia Zdichocki | Stanhope Borough | Sussex |
| Judith M. Davies-Dunhour | Stone Harbor Borough | Cape May |
| Nora G Radest | Summit City | Union |
| Andrea Maranca | Tewksbury Township | Hunterdon |
| Susan R Marshall | Tuckerton Borough | Ocean |
| Lorisue H. Mount | Upper Freehold Township | Monmouth |
| Joanne Minichetti | Upper Saddle River Borough | Bergen |
| Beth Holtzman | Ventnor City | Atlantic |
| Melissa Dabal | Wallington Borough | Bergen |
| Carol E. Sabo | West Cape May Borough | Cape May |
| Janet W Tucci | West Long Branch Borough | Monmouth |
| Michele Dale | West Milford Township | Passaic |
| Shelley Brindle | Westfield Township | Union |
| Peg Sickel | Woodbury City | Gloucester |
The chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee is a man (John Currie). The chair of the New Jersey Republican State Committee is a man (Michael Lavery).
| Name | County | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Amy DeGise | Hudson | Democrat |
| Arlene Perez | Hunterdon | Democrat |
| Janice S. Mironov | Mercer | Democrat |
| Amalia Duarte | Morris | Democrat |
| Peg Schaffer | Somerset | Democrat |
| Dawne Rowe | Sussex | Democrat |
| Jacci Vigilante | Gloucester | Republican |
| Lisa Richford | Mercer | Republican |
| Lucille Panos | Middlesex | Republican |
| Laura Ali | Morris | Republican |
| Linda DuBois | Salem | Republican |
Justice Anne Patterson, appointed by Governor Chris Christie and sworn in on September 1, 2011; Justice Fabiana Pierre-Louis, appointed by Governor Phil Murphy and sworn in on September 1, 2020; and Justice Rachel Wainer Apter, appointed by Governor Phil Murphy and sworn in on October 21, 2022. Pierre-Louis is the first black woman to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court.
The first woman to head New Jersey’s highest court was Chief Justice Deborah Poritz; appointed by Governor Whitman, she served from 1996 until she retired in 2006. Whitman also appointed Justice Virginia Long, who served from September 14, 1999 until she retired in March, 2012 and Justice Jaynee LaVecchia, who served from January 26, 2000 until she retired in December 2021. Governor Jon Corzine appointed Justice Helen E. Hoens, who served from October 26, 2006 until October 26, 2013. Judge Mary Catherine Cuff was assigned temporarily to serve on the Court by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner in October 2012. The first woman member of New Jersey’s Supreme Court was Justice Marie L. Garibaldi, who was appointed by Governor Thomas Kean and served from 1982 until 2000.
Our thanks to the Office of the NJ Secretary of State, NJ Association of Counties, the NJ League of Municipalities, the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, and the New Jersey Republican State Committee.
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