Montclair Resident Will Try To Make History In NJ-27 Election

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A longtime Montclair resident has officially thrown her hat into the ring for a state Assembly seat in New Jersey’s 27th District.

If elected, Alixon Collazos-Gill – who came to the United States from Colombia at age 14 – would make history as the first woman and Latina to represent the district.

The 27th District – which recently saw some shifts due to mandatory redistricting – now includes Livingston, Millburn, Montclair, Roseland and West Orange in Essex County, and Clifton in Passaic County.

Collazos-Gill holds a degree in sociology and Latin American Literature from Rutgers University. She was recently named to ROI-NJ’s 2023 Power Influencers List and 2023 Women in Business Influencers List.

According to a news release from her campaign team, Collazos-Gill’s qualifications include:

• "Alixon serves on the boards of the New Jersey Hispanic Research and Information Center, housed at the Newark Public Library, BlueWave NJ, and is a former board member of LUPE Fund, a statewide organization whose mission is to educate, empower, and engage Latinas while promoting leadership and civic engagement. She is an alumnus of EmergeNJ, a nationwide organization that trains democratic women to run for public office."
• "Alixon is the co-founder, with her husband, Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, of The BGill Group, a public affairs and strategic communications firm based in Montclair. She is recognized as one of the top Spanish-language media and political consultants in New Jersey, specializing in outreach to New Jersey’s diverse Latino community. Collazos served as Director of Latino Outreach for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s historic 2017 campaign, where she helped design and execute the campaign’s successful Latino outreach program. Under her leadership, the campaign established a series of Latino Policy Forums which provided for early input from the Latino community on the campaign’s policy agenda."
• "Prior to founding The BGill Group, Alixon served as a grant manager for Millennium Strategies, where she helped secure $900,000 in funding for the firm’s public sector clients. As Director of Constituent Services for former Rep. Steven Rothman (D-9), she oversaw community outreach and communications, specialized in immigration casework and served as a liaison between the congressional office and community-based leaders and organizations."

Collazos-Gill has the endorsement of both the Essex and Passaic County Democratic parties. She will appear on the ballot with incumbent Sen. Richard Codey and Assemblyman John McKeon for the primary election in June.

According to an unofficial list from state election authorities, other Assembly candidates who filed to run in the Democratic Party primary election in the 27th District include Eve Robinson (another Montclair resident) and Frank Kasper, who are running on a slate with Sen. Nia Gill.

In addition, former state Assemblyman Craig Stanley is vying with Collazos-Gill to fill a spot left vacant by soon-to-retire Thomas Giblin.

• See Related: Gill vs. Codey: Democratic Primary Race Heats Up In NJ-27
• See Related: Tom Giblin Retiring From NJ Assembly, Won't Seek Re-Election

“This district has a long, distinguished history of sending strong, Democratic leadership to Trenton, and I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to continue and expand upon that tradition,” Collazos-Gill said.

“As a longtime resident of Montclair, I am very familiar with the communities in this district, but I am eager to get to know them as their potential representative,” Collazos-Gill added. “I look forward to listening to the different and diverse groups within these communities and understanding their priorities and their needs. I think voters will appreciate the perspective I can offer as a woman, a working mother, a small business owner and a Latina.”

The 2023 primary election in New Jersey will take place on Tuesday, June 6. Learn more about voting in the state here.

• See Related: 20 NJ Legislators Won't Seek Return To Statehouse This Year

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