Primary Election Profile: Katie Brennan Wants To Serve Hoboken, Jersey City In Assembly

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Six local Democrats are running to be the party nominees for two 32nd District Assembly seats on the November ballot. The 32nd District includes Hoboken and part of Jersey City.

Patch will profile each of the six candidates.

Below are candidate Katie Brennan's answers to the questions. She's running on a slate with Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla. Even though there are three slates, Democratic voters can pick any two nominees in the June 10 primary.

More Background

Right now, Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez and Assemblyman John Allen, two Democrats, represent both towns, but Allen has decided not to run for another two-year term. Ramirez is now running on a ticket with Jersey City Ward D (Heights) Councilman Yousef Saleh.

Bhalla, who has said he won't run again for the mayoral spot, is running for Assembly on a ticket with Jersey City-based housing expert Katie Brennan.

Finally, Hoboken Library Director Jennie Pu is running with Jersey City Director of Buildings and Street Maintenance Crystal Fonseca. They have the backing of the well-funded political group, the Hudson County Democratic Organization.

In the primaries, candidates from each party compete to get the most votes to represent their party on the General Election ballot in November.

Residents who hope to vote in the New Jersey primary elections — including for governor and for local legislative posts like Assembly — must cast their ballot by or on June 10.

Profile: Katie Brennan

Name: Katie Brennan

Age: 37

Current town: Jersey City

Town where you grew up: Mostly St. Louis (but I’ve lived in Jersey City longer!)

Educational background: Master’s in Urban Planning from Rutgers University; Bachelors from Xavier University.

Government or local experience: Held leadership roles at state and local housing agencies in New Jersey and New York, including Chief of Staff at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency and as Founding Director of the New York State Office of Resilient Homes and Communities.

Current full-time job, if you have one: Affordable Housing Consultant

Family information: Married to Travis Miles. Cat parent to Jacques and Simone.

Please link to your campaign website or the best place to find information about you:
www.katiebrennanfornj.com

Questions

1. What differentiates you from the other candidates running in the Democratic primary?

I'm the only affordable housing expert in this race, with 15 years of experience making housing more affordable at every level of government. I started my career by taking on Governor Christie to save New Jersey's affordable housing protections, then helped secure the largest investment in affordable homes in state history. Locally, I've fought alongside neighbors to strengthen Jersey City's inclusionary zoning and defend Hoboken's rent control.

I'm running independently — without backing from any party bosses or political machine — because I believe elected officials should answer to the people, not the political establishment. As a survivor of sexual assault who stood up to powerful interests and changed the law to protect others, I've shown I'm not afraid of tough fights or speaking truth to power.

I'm also the only candidate who will treat this as a full-time job. My income isn’t tied to any elected official or political organization, so the people of Jersey City and Hoboken will be my only boss.

I know how to turn bold ideas into real change, having helped pass more than a dozen laws at the national, state, and local levels, and I’ll bring that same focus and follow-through to the Assembly.

2. What are the biggest issues in the 32nd District Assembly race, and how do you intend to solve them?

Housing is the single biggest issue facing our district. Rents are out of control, corporate landlords are using algorithms to drive up prices, and families are getting priced out. The system is broken, and we need comprehensive solutions: stronger tenant protections, banning rent-setting algorithms, cracking down on predatory landlords, and making it easier to build naturally affordable homes near jobs and transit.
Rising property taxes are also driving up housing costs — especially in Jersey City, where Trenton's broken school funding formula cut more than $270 million from our public schools. I'll fight to fix this formula by increasing per-pupil funding for low-income students and English language learners so diverse, urban districts like ours get their fair share. When the state underfunds schools, we all foot the bill.
We also need to invest in public transit that works. Our trains and buses are overcrowded and unreliable. I’ll fight for more funding, transparency, and accountability at NJ Transit and the PATH so we can all get where we need to go.
And I’ll also work to restore trust in government through stronger ethics laws, more transparency in the state budget-making process, and increased access to public records.

3. Is there anything else you'd like voters to know?

I know what it takes to stand up to powerful people — whether it’s the political insiders who tried to silence me after I was assaulted, or extremists like Donald Trump who threaten our rights every day. After surviving sexual assault by a high-ranking government official, I refused to stay silent. I fought for justice, changed the state and federal law, and helped pass more than a dozen reforms to protect other survivors. Real change takes courage, and the persistence to see it through.
Now I’m running to bring that same fight to the Assembly. When democracy is under attack, New Jersey must be a firewall. I’ll fight for a state Defense Fund to protect official services from federal cuts, champion the Immigrant Trust Act to block local participation in warrantless ICE raids, and back our Attorney General in challenging unconstitutional actions in court.
This is a full time job — and I’ll treat it like one. I’ll be accessible, accountable, and maintain a fully staffed office in downtown Jersey City. Residents can always reach me at 201-898-0605.
From housing to transit to civil rights, the issues we face demand someone who’s all in. That’s the kind of leader I’ll be.

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Here is the primary election timeline.