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 byR. Bruce Land
Matthew W. Milam
Member of the Ocean City Council from the 2nd Ward
In office
July 1, 2012 – January 14, 2020
Preceded byKate Bergman [1]
Succeeded byTomaso Rotondi [2]
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceOcean City, New Jersey
WebsiteLegislative Webpage

Personal and early life

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McClellan 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

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McClellan 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General Majority PAC for darkening McClellan's face in a mailer, accusing them of racism and demanding the mailer be withdrawn.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

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McClellan was sworn into the Assembly on January 14, 2020, when the 219th New Jersey Legislature convened.

Committee assignments

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  • Appropriations
  • Homeland Security and State Preparedness
  • Tourism Gaming and the Arts

District 1

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New Jersey Legislative District 1

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]

Electoral history

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General Assembly

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1st Legislative District General Election, 2023[10]
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
1st legislative district general election, 2021[11]
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
2019 New Jersey General Assembly election for the 1st Legislative District[12]
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

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  1. ^ "City Council". Wayback Machine. November 18, 2011. Archived from the original on November 18, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  2. ^ "City Council". Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  3. ^ "Ocean City Councilman Elected To NJ Assembly: What Happens Next". Ocean City, NJ Patch. November 6, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  4. ^ Brunetti Post, Michelle. "Historic win for African American in 1st District". The Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d "Ocean City Councilman McClellan Seeking Assembly Seat". Sea Isle News. March 12, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  6. ^ 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."
  7. ^ "GOP picks up one Senate seat, two Assembly seats in mid-term elections". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ Legislative Roster for District 1, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 21, 2024.
  10. ^ "Candidates for General Assembly - For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "NJ general Assembly 01". Retrieved December 29, 2019.
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