New Jersey Elects First LGBTQ+ Woman Legislator

New Jersey has elected its first woman state legislator from the LGBTQ+ community.

Luanne Peterpaul, a lesbian, won election Tuesday to the state Assembly from the 11^th District, located in the central part of the state. She and fellow Democrat Margie Donlon unseated two Republican incumbents, Marilyn Piperno and Kim Eulner, who had won by narrow margins in 2021. In New Jersey, each district has two Assembly members and one senator; 11^th District Sen. Vin Gopal, a Democrat, won reelection Tuesday.

New Jersey has had gay male state legislators before, including Republican Don Guardian, who was reelected to the Assembly from the Second District Tuesday, but never a woman from the LGBTQ+ population.

Peterpaul is a former Monmouth County prosecutor and has been a municipal judge in the cities of Long Branch and Asbury Park. She has been board chair for Garden State Equality, and in that post she was instrumental in creating the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, which passed with bipartisan support in the state legislature. She was co-counsel defending challenges to the New Jersey law prohibiting conversion therapy for minors and played a significant role in bringing marriage equality to the state.

“I am beyond humbled to have earned the support of Monmouth County residents and am excited to get to work for them every day in the legislature,” Peterpaul said in a press release. “I am also humbled to be making history as the first openly gay woman elected to the New Jersey legislature. I stand on the shoulders of countless trailblazers who fought for equality and opened the door for people like me to serve my community in elected office. Thank you to everyone who showed up for our campaign this year. We truly could not have done this without the amazing community we built. I want to especially thank my wife, Robin, my incredible partner of 40 years, for joining me on this incredible journey. I might be the first, but I will certainly not be the last!”

Peterpaul was endorsed by LPAC, whose executive director, Lisa Turner, released this statement: “We are overjoyed to congratulate Luanne Peterpaul on her barrier-breaking victory tonight. Until today, New Jersey was one of six states that had never elected an LGBTQ woman to its state legislature. Luanne has been a tireless advocate for the LGBTQ community throughout her career and we can’t wait to see the positive impact she will have for our community and for District 11 constituents in the Assembly.”

She also was endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which noted that Tuesday saw a rainbow wave, with more out candidates elected than in any previous odd-numbered election year. More than 200 have won their elections in 2023, including 148 Tuesday, surpassing 2021’s record of 184.

“Bigoted politicians attempted to use LGBTQ+ people as a political weapon, but voters rejected those cynical tactics,” said a statement from Victory Fund President and CEO Annise Parker. “Anti-LGBTQ attacks failed across the nation, particularly in Virginia. Tonight, we elected a historic number of LGBTQ+ candidates who are ready to serve their communities. Tonight’s rainbow wave is a testament to the perseverance of LGBTQ+ political power and a bellwether for the 2024 election cycle. Equality wins elections — not culture war scare tactics.”