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 |
Tahesha Way (D) currently serves as lieutenant governor. In 2018, Sheila Oliver (D) took office as New Jersey's second lieutenant governor. She was the first woman of color and the first Black woman elected to statewide office in NJ and served until 2023. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tahesha Way | Secretary of State | 2/9/18-present |
| Elizabeth Muoio | State Treasurer | 4/13/18-present |
| Christine Norbut Beyer | Commissioner of Children and Families | 6/20/18-present |
| Lisa J. Hou | Adjutant General | 10/16/20-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 |
| Latrecia "Trish" Littles-Floyd | Motor Vehicle Commission Chair | 7/2/2022-present |
| Allison Chris Myers | Civil Service Commission Chair | 1/1/2023-present |
| Kaitlan Baston | Health Commissioner | 7/25/2023-present |
| Christine Guhl-Sadovy | Board of Public Utilities President | 9/12/2023-present |
| Jacquelyn Suárez | Acting Community Affairs Commissioner | 9/18/2023-present |
| Lisa Asare | President and CEO NJ Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority | 3/27/2024-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 |
| Deirdre Webster Cobb | Civil Service Commission Chair | 4/13/18-12/31/2022 |
| Sue Fulton | Motor Vehicle Commission Chair | 4/19/18-7/1/2022 |
| Marlene Caride | Banking & Insurance Commissioner | 6/26/18-6/28/2023 |
| Judith Persichilli | Health Commissioner | 8/5/19-7/24/2023 |
| Sheila Oliver | Community Affairs Commissioner | 1/17/18-8/1/2023 |
| Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti | Transportation Commissioner | 6/20/18-1/28/2024 |
| Angelica Allen-McMillan | Acting Education Commissioner | 10/20/20-1/31/2024 |
| Beth Noveck | Chief Innovation Officer | 8/13/18-1/31/2024 |
New Jersey ranks 23rd among the 50 states in the proportion of women serving in its legislature. Women of color make up 53.7% of all women in the New Jersey legislature: 70.0% of women in the Senate and 48.4% of women in the Assembly.
| Name | Party | Position | Race/Ethnicity | Dates Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosy Bagolie | D | State Representative | White, Latina | 2024-present |
| Renee C. Burgess | D | State Senator | Black | 2022-present |
| Linda Carter | D | State Representative | Black | 2018-present |
| Alixon Collazos-Gill | D | State Representative | Latina | 2024-present |
| Kristin Corrado | R | State Senator | White | 2017-present |
| Nilsa Cruz-Perez | D | State Senator | Latina | 2014-present |
| Margie Donlon | D | State Representative | White | 2024-present |
| Mitchelle Drulis | D | State Representative | White | 2024-present |
| Aura K. Dunn | R | State Representative | White | 2019-present |
| Dawn Fantasia | R | State Representative | White | 2024-present |
| Vicky Flynn | R | State Representative | White | 2022-present |
| Linda R. Greenstein | D | State Senator | White | 2010-present |
| Shama A. Haider | D | State Representative | Asian American/Pacific Islander | 2022-present |
| Garnet R. Hall | D | State Representative | Black | 2024-present |
| Andrea Katz | D | State Representative | White | 2024-present |
| 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 |
| Barbara McCann Stamato | D | State Representative | White | 2024-present |
| Tennille R. McCoy | D | State Representative | Black | 2024-present |
| Angela V. McKnight | D | State Senator | Black | 2024-present |
| Carmen Morales | D | State Representative | Latina | 2024-present |
| 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 |
| Luanne Peterpaul | D | State Representative | White | 2024-present |
| Eliana Pintor Marin | D | State Representative | White | 2013-present |
| Nellie Pou | D | State Senator | Latina | 2012-present |
| Annette Quijano | D | State Representative | Latina | 2008-present |
| Jessica Ramirez | D | State Representative | Latina | 2024-present |
| Verlina Reynolds-Jackson | D | State Representative | Black | 2018-present |
| M. Teresa Ruiz | D | State Senator | Latina | 2008-present |
| Holly T. Schepisi | R | State Senator | White | 2021-present |
| Heather Simmons | D | State Representative | White | 2024-present |
| Shanique Speight | D | State Representative | Black | 2018-present |
| 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 Senator | Black | 2024-present |
| 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) | Senate Majority Leader |
| Linda R. Greenstein (D-14) | Assistant Majority Leader |
| Shirley K. Turner (D-15) | Senate President Pro Tempore |
| Nellie Pou (D-35) | Majority Caucus Chair |
| Holly T. Schepisi (R-39) | Republican Conference Leader |
| Kristin M. Corrado (R-40) | Ranking Member Judiciary Committee |
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Annette Quijano (D-20) | Majority Conference Leader |
| Carol A. Murphy (D-7) | Majority Whip |
| Lisa Swain (D-38) | Assembly Appropriations Chair |
| Eliana Pintor Marin (D-29) | Assembly Budget Chair |
| Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-15) | Constituent Outreach Chair |
| Linda S. Carter (D-22) | Deputy Speaker |
| Pamela R. Lampitt (D-6) | Deputy Speaker |
| Yvonne Lopez (D-19) | Deputy Speaker |
| Shanique Speight (D-29) | Deputy Speaker |
| Shama A. Haider (D-37) | Deputy Majority Leader |
| Ellen J. Park (D-37) | Parlimentarian |
| Nancy F. Munoz (R-21) | Minority Budget Officer |
| Victoria A. Flynn (R-13) | Deputy Minority Conference Leader |
| Michelle Matsikoudis (R-21) | Assistant Minority Conference Leader |
| Aura K. Dunn (R-25) | Assistant Minority Whip |
| Name | Committee |
|---|---|
| Nellie Pou (D-35) | Commerce |
| Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-5) | Economic Growth |
| Linda R. Greenstein (D-14) | Law and Public Safety |
| Name | Committee |
|---|---|
| Shanique Speight (D-29) | Aging and Human Services |
| Lisa Swain (D-38) | Appropriations |
| Eliana Pintor Marin (D-29) | Budget |
| Shama A. Haider (D-37) | Children, Families, and Food Security |
| Shavonda E. Sumter (D-35) | Community Development and Women's Affairs |
| Pamela Lampitt (D-6) | Education |
| Linda S. Carter (D-22) | Higher Education |
| Yvonne Lopez (D-19) | Housing |
| Ellen J. Park (D-37) | Judiciary |
| Cleopatra Tucker (D-28) | Military and Veteran's Affairs |
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 19 of the state’s 21 counties. The counties with no women commissioners are Cape May and Salem.
Eight Black women (Cooper, Graham, Hopson, McCullum, Robinson, and Williams), nine Latinas (Aponte-Lipski, Azcona-Barber, Betteridge, Cedeno, Delisfort, Leon, Ortiz, Rodriguez, and Sooy) and one Asian American/Pacific Islander woman (Narra) currently serve as commissioners.
| Name and Party | County |
|---|---|
| June Byrnes (R) | Atlantic |
| Amy L. Gatto (R) | Atlantic |
| Maureen Kern (R) | Atlantic |
| Mary Amoroso (D) | Bergen |
| Germaine M. Ortiz (D) | Bergen |
| Joan Voss (D) | Bergen |
| Tracy Silna Zur (D) | Bergen |
| Allison Eckel (D) | Burlington |
| Felicia Hopson (D), Director | Burlington |
| Melinda Kane (D) | Camden |
| Virginia Betteridge (D) | Camden |
| Victoria Groetsch-Lods (R) | Cumberland |
| Sandra Taylor (R) | Cumberland |
| Tyshammie L. Cooper (D) | Essex |
| Romaine Graham (D) | Essex |
| Patricia Sebold (D) | Essex |
| Denice DiCarlo (D) | Gloucester |
| Joann Gatinelli (D) | Gloucester |
| Yraida Aponte Lipski (D) | Hudson |
| Fanny Cedeno (D) | Hudson |
| Caridad Rodriguez (D) | Hudson |
| Susan Soloway (R) | Hunterdon |
| Cathleen M. Lewis (D) | Mercer |
| Kristin L. McLaughlin (D) | Mercer |
| Nina Melker (D) | Mercer |
| Lucylle Walter (D), Chair | 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 |
| Christine Meyers (R) | Morris |
| Deborah Smith (R) | Morris |
| Bobbi Jo Crea (R), Director | Ocean |
| Virginia Haines (R) | Ocean |
| Cassandra Lazzara (D) | Passaic |
| Melonie Marano (D) | Somerset |
| Shanel Robinson (D), Director | Somerset |
| Sara Sooy (D) | Somerset |
| Dawn Fantasia (R) | Sussex |
| Jill Space (R) | Sussex |
| Michèle S. Delisfort (D) | Union |
| Bette Jane Kowalski (D) | Union |
| Lourdes M. Leon (D) | Union |
| Kimberly Palmieri Mouded (D) | Union |
| Rebecca Williams (D) | Union |
| Lori Ciesla (R), Director | 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 |
| E. Marie Hayes (R) | Cape May |
| Susan Hoffman (R) | Hunterdon |
| Diane Gerofsky (D) | Mercer |
| Claribel Cortes (D) | Middlesex |
| Maureen Raisch (R) | Monmouth |
| Heather Darling | Morris |
| Zoila Cassanova (D) | Passaic |
| Nicki A. Burke (D) | Salem |
| Tina Jalloh (D) | Somerset |
| Name and Party | County |
|---|---|
| Diane Coleman (D) | Hudson |
Data as of January 2024.
Two Black women (Marie Larence and Kaya A. McIntosh), one Latina (Patricia Hendricks Farmer), and one Asian American/Pacific Islander woman (Fozia Janjua) serve as big city mayors.
| Name | Municipality | Population | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa Crate | Brick Township | 76,863 | Ocean |
| Debbie Walker | Old Bridge Township | 65,414 | Middlesex |
| Theresa Berger | Howell Township | 51,952 | Monmouth |
| Laurie Burns | Washinton Township | 47,753 | Gloucester |
| Susan McCartney | West Orange Township | 47,473 | Essex |
| Jaclyn Veasy | Evesham Township | 45,188 | Burlington |
| Laura Pfrommer | Egg Harbor Township | 42,105 | Egg Harbor Township |
| Fozia Janjua | Mount Laurel Township | 41,870 | Burlington |
| Carol Jean Doyle | Kearny | 40,507 | Hudson |
| Susan Cohen | Manalapan Township | 39,225 | Monmouth |
| Marie M. Larence | Winslow Township | 38,543 | Camden |
| Patricia Hendricks Farmer | Lawrence Township | 32,595 | Mercer |
| Kaya A. McIntosh | Willingboro Township | 32,005 | Burlington |
Data as of January 2024.
| Name | Municipality | County |
|---|---|---|
| Kim Horton | Absecon City | Atlantic |
| Rosemary Tuohy | Allamuchy Township | Warren |
| Amy Wilczynski | Allendale Borough | Bergen |
| Deborah Buzby-Cope | Bass River Township | Burlington |
| Nancy Taggart Davis | Beach Haven Borough | Ocean |
| Kathleen B. Miers | Belvidere Township | Warren |
| Angie D. Devanney | Berkeley Heights Township | Union |
| Phyllis A. Magazzu | Berlin Township | Camden |
| Jennifer L. Asay | Bernards Township | Somerset |
| Mary Jane Canose | Bernardsville Borough | Somerset |
| Vicky Papics | Bloomsbury Borough | Hunterdon |
| Daniele Fede | Bogota Borough | Bergen |
| Jennifer L. Sciortino | Bordentown City | Burlington |
| Anna Columbus | Branchburg Township | Somerset |
| Julie A. McCleary | Brooklawn Borough | Camden |
| Kerry Peterson | Cedar Grove Township | Essex |
| Carolyn Dempsey | Chatham Borough | Morris |
| Stacey Ewald | Chatham Township | Morris |
| Jamila Odom Bremmer | Chesilhurst Borough | Camden |
| Janet Hoven | Chester Borough | Morris |
| Janice Kovach | Clinton Town | Hunterdon |
| Abigail Perlstein O'Brien | Deerfield Township | Cumberland |
| Debra A. Rivas | Eagleswood Township | Ocean |
| Jenna Casper-Bloom | East Amwell Township | Hunterdon |
| 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 |
| Violetta Berisha | Fairview Borough | Bergen |
| Colleen Mahr | Fanwood Borough | Union |
| Marcia A. Karrow | Flemington Borough | Hunterdon |
| Kristan I. Wilkie | Florence Township | Burlington |
| Jen Blumenstock | Garwood Borough | Union |
| Deborah Mans | Glen Ridge Borough | Essex |
| Kristine Morieko | Glen Rock Borough | Bergen |
| Margaret Peg Phillips | Green Township | Sussex |
| Colleen Bianco Bezich | Haddonfield Borough | Camden |
| Leila Gilmore | Hainesport Township | Burlington |
| Heather Wasser | Haworth Borough | Bergen |
| Michele Lee | High Bridge Borough | Hunterdon |
| Elsie Foster | Highland Park Borough | Middlesex |
| Carolyn Broullon | Highlands Borough | Monmouth |
| Susan Bluth | Hightstown Borough | Mercer |
| Dahlia Vertreese | Hillside Township | Union |
| Marie Galate | Hopatcong Borough | Sussex |
| Robin Freitag | Hopewell Township | Cumberland |
| Courtney Peters-Manning | Hopewell Township | Mercer |
| Linda Karlovitch | Kenilworth Borough | Union |
| Rose P. Araneo | Keyport Borough | Monmouth |
| Debra Shipps | Knowlton Township | Warren |
| Peggy Sue Juliano | Lacey Township | Ocean |
| Mary Ann Wardlow | Lawnside Borough | Camden |
| Beverly Koehler | Lebanon Township | Hunterdon |
| Bettyann Cowling-Carson | Magnolia Borough | Camden |
| Nancy Adams | Maplewood Township | Essex |
| Christine Serrano Glassner | Mendham Borough | Morris |
| Sarah Neibart | Mendham Township | Morris |
| Annette Romano | Millburn Township | Essex |
| Lisa M. Orndorf | Millville City | Cumberland |
| Neena Singh | Montgomery Township | Somerset |
| Nicole Gillespie | Moorestown Township | Burlington |
| Donna J. Guariglia | Morris Township | Morris |
| Susan Carney | Mount Ephraim Borough | Camden |
| Rachel McGreevy | Neptune City | Monmouth |
| Tassie York | Neptune Township | Monmouth |
| Lydia M. Dodd | Ocean Township | Ocean |
| Gina Ragomo Tait | Palmyra Borough | Burlington |
| Bonnie Haines | Pemberton Borough | Burlington |
| LaDaena D. Thomas | Penns Grove Borough | Salem |
| Judy M. Ward | Pleasantville City | Atlantic |
| Monica Niki Giberson | Port Republic City | Atlantic |
| Marjorie Sperry | Quinton Township | Salem |
| Deirdre A Dillon | Ramsey Borough | Bergen |
| Peggy Malkin | Roosevelt Borough | Monmouth |
| Jacqueline Albrecht | Roxbury Township | Morris |
| Jody Veler | Salem City | Salem |
| Kim Doran Eulner | Shrewsbury Borough | Monmouth |
| Caryl Chris Shoffner | South Bound Brook Borough | Somerset |
| Sheena C. Collum | South Orange Village Township | Essex |
| Jackie Palmer | Spotswood Borough | Middlesex |
| Jennifer Naughton | Spring Lake Borough | Monmouth |
| Lisa Chammings | Stillwater Township | Sussex |
| Judith M. Davies-Dunhour | Stone Harbor Borough | Cape May |
| Linda Hall | Stratford Borough | Camden |
| Elizabeth Fagan | Summit City | Union |
| Jean Frankel | Tewksbury Township | Hunterdon |
| Susan R Marshall | Tuckerton Borough | Ocean |
| Melissa Dabal | Wallington Borough | Bergen |
| Ethel Conry | Washington Borough | Warren |
| Jessica S. Doheny | Wenonah Borough | Gloucester |
| 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 |
| Tracy Kallert | Woodland Park Borough | Passaic |
| Natalie Matthias | Woolwich Township | Gloucester |
The chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee is a man (LeRoy J. Jones, Jr.). The chair of the New Jersey Republican State Committee is a man (Bob Hugin).
| Name | County | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Nancy Sungenis | Cumberland | Democrat |
| 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 |
| Laura Ali | Morris | 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.
Reproduction of this entire document or any part of it for non-commercial purposes is encouraged, provided credit is given to Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University. Any information reproduced must include footnotes/endnotes which apply to that information. Commercial reproduction requires prior permission in writing from Center for American Women and Politics.