Democratic State Chairman LeRoy Jones, Jr. was re-elected to another term without opposition tonight with the backing of the state’s new governor, Mikie Sherrill.
Jones called 2025 “a defining year for New Jersey Democrats.”
“We elected our first female Democratic governor, grew our majority in the State Assembly with districts we haven’t represented in years, and elected local leaders in towns across the state,” he said.
Somerset County Democratic Chair Peg Schaffer was re-elected vice chair, Middlesex County Commissioner Clary Azcona-Barber will return as secretary, and Shantè D. Palmer got another term as treasurer.
A former assemblyman, Jones was elected state chairman in 2021, succeeding John Currie. Jones had spent a year preparing to challenge Currie before Democrats reached a deal in December 2019. That agreement gave Currie eighteen more months as the state chairman and divided appointments to the Legislative Redistricting Commission, which are made by the state chair, between Democratic factions in Essex, Middlesex, and Camden Counties, which backed Jones’ bid for the chairmanship.
“It was an honor of a lifetime to be the chairman of the party as we accomplished what many thought was impossible. I want to thank the New Jersey Democratic State Committee for putting their confidence in me to lead as chairman for another term,” said Jones. “We have a great foundation to build off of, and 2026 will be even better as we fight to take back Congress and elect Democrats up and down the ballot.”
Jones is also the Essex County Democratic Chairman and was an early backer of Sherrill’s gubernatorial campaign.
