Amy Quinn will become Asbury Park’s next mayor after defeating Planning Board member Dan Sciannameo in Tuesday’s election, as LGBTQ+ candidates made history in races across the country.
Quinn, the city’s deputy mayor, will succeed Mayor John Moor, who is retiring after 13 years in office. Sciannameo conceded on Wednesday morning.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve the great people of Asbury Park as it’s next Mayor. We have a lot to do, and I look forward to getting to work,” Quinn said.
Quinn, a longtime City Council member and openly lesbian public official, had Moor’s support, along with endorsements from former Gov. Phil Murphy and Assemblywoman Luanne Peterpaul, the first openly LGBTQ+ woman elected to the New Jersey Legislature in 2024.
The Garden State Equality Action Fund said 83% of its endorsed candidates won their races Tuesday, with four additional contests too close to call. The organization endorsed more than 100 candidates across New Jersey in September and October.
“Our endorsees represent the best hope we have for moving forward in the pursuit of safety and prosperity for our LGBTQ+ communities, both locally and nationally,” Lauren Albrecht, the organization’s senior director of advocacy and organizing, said in a statement.
In New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Rep. Chris Smith defeated Democratic challenger Rachel Peace, winning another term in the U.S. House. Smith received approximately 59% of the vote to Peace’s 41%, according to 6abc’s reported results. He has represented the district since 1981.
Democrats flipped two Republican-held seats in the New Jersey delegation to U.S. House of Representatives. In the 2nd District, Zack Mullock defeated Rep. Jeff Van Drew, while Rebecca Bennett unseated Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in the 7th District. Both challengers received endorsements from the Garden State Equality Action Fund.
Trenton’s mayoral race will head to a Dec. 8 runoff. Incumbent openly gay Mayor W. Reed Gusciora will face police detective and political newcomer Corey Isiah McNair after neither secured a majority in Tuesday’s six-candidate race. McNair led with approximately 37% of the vote, followed by Gusciora with 23%, according to the Mercer County Clerk.
In New Hampshire, Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas defeated Republican John E. Sununu for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat. Pappas will become the first openly gay man to serve in the U.S. Senate. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) celebrated Pappas’ victory as a milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in the federal government.
“The voters of New Hampshire know that Chris Pappas is one of their own, a leader who will work for the Granite State, push back against corruption and champion LGBTQ+ equality,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a statement.
Other historic victories included the reelection of Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress. Alabama elected Allison Montgomery as its first openly transgender state legislator, while Washington elected Jaelynn Scott as the first openly Black transgender woman in its state House. Michigan elected transgender lawmaker Joanna Whaley to its state legislature, and Georgia elected Bentley Hudgins, the state’s first openly transgender and nonbinary legislator.
Voters also delivered mixed results on LGBTQ+ rights. Missouri rejected Amendment 3, a ballot measure that combined abortion restrictions with limits on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, according to GLAAD. Arizona voters approved Proposition 318, restricting transgender students’ participation in girls’ sports and access to school restrooms and locker rooms. In Virginia, voters approved a constitutional amendment protecting marriage equality.
