Antwan McClellan is an American Republican Party politician who has represented the 1st Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since January 14, 2020.[3][4] McClellan served as a councilman in Ocean City, New Jersey from 2012 until 2020.
Antwan McClellan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 1st district | |
| Assumed office January 14, 2020 Serving with Erik K. Simonsen | |
| Preceded by | R. Bruce Land Matthew W. Milam |
| Member of the Ocean City Council from the 2nd Ward | |
| In office July 1, 2012 – January 14, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Kate Bergman [1] |
| Succeeded by | Tomaso Rotondi [2] |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Ocean City, New Jersey |
| Website | Legislative Webpage |
Personal and early life
editMcClellan is a lifelong resident of Ocean City.[5] He is the youngest of six siblings. He attended Ocean City High School as well as Virginia State University and Old Dominion University.[6] McClellan serves as the Confidential Assistant/Personnel Director/Public Information Officer in the Cape May County Sheriff's Department.[5] He was first elected to the Ocean City Council in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016.[5] He has also served as a member of the board of education of the Ocean City School District, a trustee on the Ocean City Historical Museum and a volunteer for the South Jersey Field of Dreams.[5]
New Jersey Assembly
editMcClellan started his bid for Assembly in early 2019. He ran as a team alongside Mike Testa and Erik Simonsen. McClellan alongside Simonsen ousted incumbents Bruce Land and Matt Milam. He was also the first African American Republican in the legislature since 2002.[7]
Republicans attacked the Democratic-supporting General Majority PAC for darkening McClellan's face in a mailer, accusing them of racism and demanding the mailer be withdrawn. McClellan commented on the mailer, "The Democratic Party claims to be the party of inclusion. However, the moment a person of color like me disagrees with their narrative, they launch an ad hominem attack, whip out their best 'Aunt Jemima' photograph, and purposefully darken my complexion in order to suppress dissent."[8]
Tenure
editMcClellan was sworn into the Assembly on January 14, 2020, when the 219th New Jersey Legislature convened.
Committee assignments
edit- Appropriations
- Homeland Security and State Preparedness
- Tourism Gaming and the Arts
District 1
edit
New Jersey's 1st Legislative District encompasses parts of Atlantic County, New Jersey, Cumberland County, New Jersey, and all of Cape May County, New Jersey. Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The representatives from the 1st District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[9]
- Senator Mike Testa (R)
- Assemblyman Antwan McClellan (R)
- Assemblyman Erik Simonsen (R)
Electoral history
editGeneral Assembly
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Erik Simonsen (incumbent) | 27,976 | 31.8 | |
| Republican | Antwan McClellan (incumbent) | 27,603 | 31.3 | |
| Democratic | Damita White-Morris | 16,257 | 18.5 | |
| Democratic | Eddie L. Bonner | 16,228 | 18.4 | |
| Total votes | 88,064 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Erik Simonsen (incumbent) | 40,803 | 31.61% | |
| Republican | Antwan McClellan (incumbent) | 40,405 | 31.30% | |
| Democratic | John P. Capizola Jr. | 23,818 | 18.45% | |
| Democratic | Julia L. Hankerson | 23,055 | 17.86% | |
| Libertarian | Michael Gallo | 589 | 0.46% | |
| Libertarian | Jacob Selwood | 399 | 0.31% | |
| Total votes | 129,069 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Erik Simonsen | 27,304 | 27.15% | |
| Republican | Antwan McClellan | 26,264 | 26.11% | |
| Democratic | Bruce Land (Incumbent) | 23,778 | 23.64% | |
| Democratic | Matthew W. Milam (Incumbent) | 23,234 | 23.10% | |
| Total votes | 100,508 | 100.0% | ||
References
edit- ^ "City Council". Wayback Machine. November 18, 2011. Archived from the original on November 18, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ "City Council". Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ "Ocean City Councilman Elected To NJ Assembly: What Happens Next". Ocean City, NJ Patch. November 6, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ Brunetti Post, Michelle. "Historic win for African American in 1st District". The Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Ocean City Councilman McClellan Seeking Assembly Seat". Sea Isle News. March 12, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ Assemblyman Antwan McClellan, NJ Assembly Republicans. Accessed January 12, 2022. "A 1993 graduate of Ocean City High School, McClellan attended Virginia State University and Old Dominion University."
- ^ "GOP picks up one Senate seat, two Assembly seats in mid-term elections". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ^ "Camden Political Machine Launches Racist Smear Against Ocean City Councilman Antwan McClellan GOP Demands Democrats Andrzejczak, Land and Milam Break Ties with Super PAC". Cape May County Herald. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ Legislative Roster for District 1, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 21, 2024.
- ^ "Candidates for General Assembly - For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/02/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ "NJ general Assembly 01". Retrieved December 29, 2019.