Jersey City activist Katie Brennan and Hoboken Ravi Bhalla submitted over 900 petitions of nomination each for the 32nd Legislative District Assembly race that is expected to be a competitive Democratic primary with six candidates in the field.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“This campaign is about making government work for the people, not just political insiders, and that’s a message that resonates with voters of all ages and in every corner of the district,” Brennan said in a statement.
“People are excited to finally have a choice over who represents them in Trenton, and to have candidates focused on big issues like tackling the housing crisis and improving public transit. I’m deeply honored by the support and enthusiasm we’ve seen while collecting signatures.”
The duo announced they would be running together two weeks ago and have since adopted the slogan “Democrats for the People” for the June 10th primary ballot.
“We’re putting power back in the hands of the people, right where it belongs. As mayor, I’ve delivered real results for Hoboken on affordable housing, pedestrian safety, and climate action,” Bhalla added.
“Now we’re bringing that same get-things-done approach to Trenton, where we’ll fight for housing, transit, and protecting the state from the Trump administration. I’m grateful to every voter who signed our petitions and to all of our volunteers who helped collect them.”
The six-person field also includes Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez and Jersey City Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh, who are part of Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop’s slate as part of his bid for governor, who are using the “Democrats for Change” banner.
Finally, the two candidates backed by the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) are Hoboken Public Library Executive Director Jennie Pu and Jersey City Director of Buildings and Street Maintenance Crystal Fonseca.
As of Saturday, Saleh had submitted 573 signatures, Ramirez handed in 1,259, while Pu and Fonseca had the most, 2,039 each, according to unofficial tallies from the New Jersey Department of State.
State Assembly candidates throughout New Jersey need 250 certified petitions of nomination to make the primary ballot and the filing deadline is today at 4 p.m. (eight of 14 expected candidates submitted prior to the weekend).