Fourteen New Jersey residents are being nominated as presidential electors to represent independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
This diverse group of individuals spans various political affiliations and backgrounds, reflecting a growing interest among Americans in the alternative choice in the upcoming presidential election, and local volunteers are gathering signatures to put them on the New Jersey ballot.
Gregory J Osborn, 59, of Ridgewood, has no political party affiliation and he is registered to vote in Bergen County, as is Oakland Republican Filomena Laforgia, 58.
At the other end of the state, Stone Harbor Democrat Cynthia M. James, 59, is registered to vote in Cape May County.
Roselle Democrat Demetria Kathryn Demoleas, 59, is registered to vote in Union County.
Randolph Republican Ryan Cowen, 34, is registered to vote in Morris County.
Hawthorne Democrat Melanie D. Dragone, 47, is registered to vote in Passaic County.
Branchburg Republican Stephanie Locricchio, 45, the advocacy & outreach manager for Children’s Health Defense, is registered to vote in Somerset County, New Jersey.
West Orange Democratic attorney Stanley K. Shapiro, 68, is registered to vote in Essex County.
Red Bank resident Paul Lobosco, 65, Jacqueline Capriotti, 53, of Howell, and Deborah H. Sullivan, 57, of Little Silver are Republicans registered to vote in Monmouth County.
Towaco Republican Felicia A. Milelli, 45, is registered to vote in Morris County. She is the board chair at NJ Public Health Innovation PAC. She graduated from Monmouth University with a major in Psychology and a minor in Communications. After working for several years in medical sales, Milelli enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and graduated with a certificate in Holistic Health Coaching.
Kimberly Mack Rosenberg, 56, of Princeton, is Children’s Health Defense’s General Counsel and an attorney in private practice. Rosenberg, who has no political party affiliation and she is registered to vote in Mercer County, is originally from the greater Cleveland, Ohio, area and she attended Carleton College and Case Western Reserve University School of Law. She has been actively involved in leadership positions at several non-profits focusing on children’s health issues.
Vineland Republican Michael R. Sarnoff graduated Vineland High School in 1990 then earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management Marketing from Widener University in 1994, and a doctorate from Life University School of Chiropractic in 1998. Sarnoff, 52, who founded The Good Life Family Chiropractic Centre in January 1999, is registered to vote in Cumberland County.
These 14 New Jersey residents are part of a national effort that is unique in the annals of American presidential elections.
The Kennedy campaign has secured its funding to fulfill ballot access in all 50 states and the District of Columbia after vice presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan provided $8 million to ensure Americans get a third option at the ballot box this fall.
“This isn’t just about funding our own campaign,” said Shanahan. “We want to liberate presidential elections from the grip of the existing two-party duopoly, and revitalize American democracy.”
“Nobody thinks the Democrat-Republican domination of our system is a good thing. Since their candidates are so unpopular, this year is the perfect time to challenge it,” said Shanahan, the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
The Kennedy-Shanahan ticket is already on the ballot in six states — Utah, Michigan, California, Delaware, Oklahoma, and Texas and campaign officials say they have collected enough signatures for ballot access in eight others — New Hampshire, Nevada, Hawaii, North Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa, and Ohio.
The campaign has collected the signatures needed for ballot access in 14 states, totaling 187 electoral votes, 35% of the 538 total electoral votes nationwide.
Kennedy said he expects to be on the ballot in all 50 states.
“The expense of ballot access — in both time and treasure — is one of the establishment’s most powerful cudgels against independent political thought,” said Campaign Manager Amaryllis Kennedy. “Americans demand and deserve an alternative to the broken status quo. We are thrilled to put these funds to work crossing the finish line in all 50 states plus DC.”
Kennedy decided to abandon his effort to win the Democratic Party nomination after allies of President Joe Biden engaged in intolerable cheating, which ultimately kept at least four other rivals from competing for votes. Among those who were twarted by Biden’s cheating are Marianne Williamson; Jason Palmer, a businessman who won three delegates; Cenk Uygur, founder of The Young Turks; and U.S. Representative Dean Phillips, who won four delegates.