Brendan Gill Leans Into His Montclair Roots At Congress Campaign Launch Event

MONTCLAIR, NJ — An eager crowd of Montclair residents gathered in support of Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill’s campaign to replace Mikie Sherrill in Congress.

On Monday, more than 150 people showed up for a launch event in front of the home where Gill was raised, enduring a cold rain in support of the county commissioner.

“I was raised in a middle-class family – the son of a public school teacher – and had the opportunity to receive a quality public education,” Gill said, speaking about the lessons he gained from growing up in Montclair.

“It started with that foundation, my own version of the American Dream, and the reason I’m running for Congress is to restore the promise of an affordable place to live, the promise of being able to have mom and dad age in the home they raised our family in, the promise of affordable health care, and the promise of opportunity for all,” Gill said.

Gill was joined by community advocates Melissa Walker, Debra Kagan, and Mitch Heisler, state and local elected officials, including his spouse, New Jersey Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill, New Jersey Sen. Britnee Timberlake, New Jersey Assembly members Michael Venezia and Carmen Morales, Essex County Sheriff Amir Jones and Montclair Mayor Renee Baskerville, as well as friends, neighbors and other supporters.

Learn more about his campaign platform here.

Gill – a lifelong Montclair resident – recently joined a growing field of candidates competing for Sherrill’s seat in the 11th district, which includes towns in Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties.

Sherrill, who also lives in Montclair, has been projected as the winner of New Jersey’s gubernatorial election. The congresswoman was re-elected in 2024. Her term ends in January 2027.

Sherrill will need to resign from her seat to take her new job as governor on Jan. 20. An election – including a primary – will take place to choose a replacement to fill her unexpired term.

>> See Related: NJ Candidates Line Up To Replace Mikie Sherrill In Congress

Gill isn’t the only Montclair resident who is running in the 11th district. The town also has another local resident lining up for Sherrill’s seat: Cammie Croft, a former staffer in the presidential administration of Barack Obama. Read More: 2 Congress Candidates From Montclair Seek Sherrill's Seat In NJ-11

Other candidates who have launched campaigns or filed paperwork to run include:

• Former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski
• Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett
• Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway
• Morris Township Deputy Mayor Jeff Grayzel
• Chatham Borough Council Member Justin Strickland
• Community activist Anna Lee Williams

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