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Sandra Cunningham
Sandra Cunningham (Democratic Party) was a member of the New Jersey State Senate, representing District 31. She assumed office in 2007. She left office on January 9, 2024.
Cunningham (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the New Jersey State Senate to represent District 31. She won in the general election on November 2, 2021.
Cunningham has served as a state Senate deputy majority leader.[1] She began serving as the State Senate President Pro Tempore in January 2022.[2]
On March 7, 2023, Cunningham announced she would not seek re-election to the New Jersey State Senate.[3]
Biography
Sandra Cunningham earned a B.A. in liberal arts from Bloomfield College.[4] Her career experience includes working as the executive director of the Sandra and Glenn D. Cunningham Foundation.[5][6]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Cunningham was assigned to the following committees:
- Budget and Appropriations Committee, Vice Chair
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Higher Education Committee, Chair
2020-2021
Cunningham was assigned to the following committees:
- Budget and Appropriations Committee, Vice-chair
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Higher Education Committee, Chair
2019-2020
Cunningham was assigned to the following committees:
- Budget and Appropriations Committee, Vice-Chair
- Senate Higher Education Committee, Chair
- Senate Education Committee
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Cunningham served on the following committees:
| New Jersey committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Higher Education, Chair |
| • Budget and Appropriations |
| • Labor |
2014 legislative session
In the 2014 legislative session, Cunningham served on the following committees:
| New Jersey committee assignments, 2014 |
|---|
| • Higher Education, Chair |
| • Budget and Appropriations |
| • Labor |
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Cunningham served on the following committees:
| New Jersey committee assignments, 2010 |
|---|
| • Economic Growth, Vice-Chair |
| • Labor, Vice-Chair |
| • Public Schools |
| • Budget and Appropriations |
| • Budget and Appropriations (Budget Hearings Only) |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2023
- See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2023
Sandra Cunningham did not file to run for re-election.
2021
See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2021
General election
General election for New Jersey State Senate District 31
Incumbent Sandra Cunningham defeated Neil Schulman in the general election for New Jersey State Senate District 31 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sandra Cunningham (D) | 75.3 | 26,699 |
 | Neil Schulman (R) | 24.7 | 8,769 | |
| Total votes: 35,468 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Jersey State Senate District 31
Incumbent Sandra Cunningham advanced from the Democratic primary for New Jersey State Senate District 31 on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sandra Cunningham | 100.0 | 7,239 |
| Total votes: 7,239 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Jersey State Senate District 31
Neil Schulman advanced from the Republican primary for New Jersey State Senate District 31 on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Neil Schulman | 100.0 | 979 |
| Total votes: 979 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
- See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2017
General election
Elections for the New Jersey State Senate took place in 2017. All 40 seats were up for election. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 6, 2017. The filing deadline for the primary election was April 3, 2017.[7][8] Incumbent Sandra Cunningham (D) defeated Herminio Mendoza (R) in the New Jersey State Senate District 31 general election.[9][10]
| New Jersey State Senate, District 31 General Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Sandra Cunningham Incumbent |
83.92% | 25,437 | |
| Republican | Herminio Mendoza | 16.08% | 4,874 | |
| Total Votes | 30,311 | |||
| Source: New Jersey Department of State | ||||
Democratic primary election
Incumbent Sandra Cunningham ran unopposed in the New Jersey State Senate District 31 Democratic primary election.[11]
| New Jersey State Senate, District 31 Democratic Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | ||
| Sandra Cunningham Incumbent | ||
| Source: New Jersey Department of State | ||
Republican primary election
Herminio Mendoza ran unopposed in the New Jersey State Senate District 31 Republican primary election.[11]
| New Jersey State Senate, District 31 Republican Primary, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | ||
| Herminio Mendoza | ||
| Source: New Jersey Department of State | ||
2013
- See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2013
Cunningham won re-election in the 2013 election for New Jersey State Senate District 31. Cunningham was unopposed in the June 4 Democratic primary and defeated Maria Karczewski (R) in the general election on November 5, 2013.[12][13][14][15]
| New Jersey State Senate, District 31 General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Sandra Cunningham Incumbent |
73.1% | 18,822 | |
| Republican | Maria Karczewski | 26.9% | 6,932 | |
| Total Votes | 25,754 | |||
2011
- See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2011
Cunningham won re-election to the District 31 State Senate seat in 2011. She defeated challenger Bruce Alston in the June 7 Democratic primary. Cunningham defeated Donnamarie James (R) and Louis Vernotico in the general election, which took place on November 8, 2011.[16]
| New Jersey State Senate District 31 General Election, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Sandra Cunningham Incumbent |
80.8% | 13,275 | |
| Republican | Donnamarie James | 17.3% | 2,836 | |
| Independent | Louis Vernotico | 1.9% | 320 | |
| Total Votes | 16,431 | |||
| New Jersey State Senate District 31 Democratic Primary, 2011 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Sandra Cunningham Incumbent |
85.1% | 7,489 |
| Bruce Alston | 14.9% | 1,312 |
| Total Votes | 8,801 | |
2007
- See also: New Jersey State Senate elections, 2007
In 2007, Cunningham was re-elected to the New Jersey State Senate District 31. Cunningham (D) finished with 10,821 votes and was followed by Louis Vernotico (I) with 1,511 votes. Cunningman raised $264,167 for her campaign fund.[17]
| New Jersey Senate 2007 General Election, District 31 (2007) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Sandra Cunningham (D)
|
10,821 | |||
| Louis Vernotico (I) | 1,511 | |||
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Sandra Cunningham did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of New Jersey scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
In 2024, the New Jersey State Legislature was in session from January 9 to December 19.
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the New Jersey State Legislature was in session from January 10 to January 8.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2022, the New Jersey State Legislature was in session from January 11 to December 31. |
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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|
In 2021, the New Jersey State Legislature was in session from January 4 to January 11.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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|
In 2020, the New Jersey State Legislature was in session from January 14 to December 17.
|
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the New Jersey State Legislature was in session from January 9, 2018, through January 14, 2020.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the New Jersey State Legislature was in session from January 9 through January 8, 2019.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the 217th New Jersey State Legislature, second annual session, was in session from January 10 through January 9, 2018.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the 217th New Jersey State Legislature, first annual session, was in session from January 12 through January 10, 2017.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the 216th New Jersey State Legislature, second annual session, was in session from January 13 through December 31.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the 216th New Jersey State Legislature, first annual session, was in session from January 14 through January 12, 2015.
|
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2013, the 215th New Jersey State Legislature, second annual session, was in session from January 10 to January 13, 2014.
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the 215th New Jersey State Legislature, first annual session, was in session from January 10 to January 9, 2013.
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Endorsements
2013
In 2013, Cunningham’s endorsements included the following:[18]
- New Jersey State AFL-CIO
2011
In 2011, Cunningham’s endorsements included the following:[19]
Noteworthy events
Arrested on DWI charge (2021)
Cunningham was charged with driving while intoxicated after hitting two parked cars on March 4, 2021. Cunningham said, “I was coming down the street when I was about to make a turn and instead turned into a snowbank." According to NJ.com, former Gov. Jim McGreevey, a friend of Cunningham, said at the time that she had a reaction to prescription medication.[20] At Cunningham's court hearing on June 3, her lawyer entered a not guilty plea on her behalf.[21]
State police toxicology reports later revealed that Sandra Cunningham had no alcohol in her system when she was charged.[22]
In May 2022, Cunningham's charge was dismissed.[23]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Cunningham currently resides in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Sandra + Cunningham + New Jersey + Senate"
See also
2021 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Insider NJ, "Sweeney Announces Senate Committee Assignments," January 9, 2018
- ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Legislative leadership," accessed January 12, 2022
- ↑ Patch, "As State Sen. Cunningham Retires, Hudson County Dems Make Endorsements," March 7, 2023
- ↑ New Jersey State Legislature, "Biography of Sandra Cunningham," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ Official campaign website, "Sandra Cunningham," accessed September 5, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Secretary of State, "2017 Primary Election Timeline," accessed March 21, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official List, Candidate for State Senate for Primary Election, June 6, 2017," accessed April 13, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Candidates for State Senate for General Election 11/07/2017 Election," accessed September 14, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2017 official general election results," accessed November 30, 2017
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 New Jersey Department of State, "Official Primary Results: State Senate," accessed July 14, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Official Primary Election Results," accessed July 26, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Official general election candidates," September 9, 2013
- ↑ Associated Press, "New Jersey - Summary Vote Results," November 6, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 Official General Election results," accessed December 5, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2011 Official State Senate Primary Candidate List," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "New Jersey State Senate 2007 general election results," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ PolitickerNJ.com, "AFL-CIO endorses candidates for elections," accessed September 4, 2013
- ↑ Politicker NJ, "2011 AFL-CIO endorsed candidates," accessed August 5, 2011
- ↑ NJ.com, "State senator’s DWI court hearing scheduled for Bergen County in June," April 15, 2021
- ↑ Northjersey.com, "NJ senator charged with DWI, careless driving pleads not guilty," June 3, 2021
- ↑ New Jersey Globe, "Cunningham vindicated as toxicology reports show zero alcohol," June 11, 2021
- ↑ Politico, "New Jersey Playbook PM," May 12, 2022
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
New Jersey State Senate District 31 2007-2024 |
Succeeded by Angela McKnight (D) |
