Debra Salters

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Debra Salters

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Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

July 16, 2024

Education

High school

Malcolm X Shabazz High School

Personal

Profession

Educator

Contact

Campaign website

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Debra Salters (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent New Jersey's 10th Congressional District. She lost in the special Democratic primary on July 16, 2024.

Salters also ran for election for an at-large seat of the Newark Public Schools Board of Education in New Jersey. She lost in the general election on April 16, 2024.

Salters completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

2024 battleground election

See also: New Jersey's 10th Congressional District special election, 2024 (July 16 Democratic primary)

Ballotpedia identified the July 16, 2024, Democratic primary special election as a battleground race. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here. LaMonica McIver won the special Democratic primary for New Jersey's 10th Congressional District on July 16, 2024. She defeated ten other candidates. The election was called to fill the vacancy created when former incumbent Donald Payne Jr. (D) died on April 24, 2024. The general election was September 18, 2024.

The winner of the special election served out the remainder of Payne Jr.'s term, which ran through January 3, 2025.

Derek Armstead and McIver led in endorsements and received the most media attention.

Armstead was first elected mayor of Linden in 2014. He defeated two-term incumbent Richard Gerbounka without the endorsement of the county’s Democratic Party. He was a member of the Linden City Council from 1993 to 2015. Armstead said he wanted to “enable all CD10 residents to enjoy tax stabilization, job creation, economic development and better education for our children.”

McIver was first elected to the Newark City Council in 2018. She was previously the personnel director for Montclair Public Schools and a public affairs manager for PSE&G. McIver said “she believes every individual deserves equal opportunity to achieve their full potential.”

According to Politico, the state had a “uniquely New Jersey ballot structure known as ‘the county line’ that’s underpinned state politics for generations." Support from county party leaders could "give their candidates a distinct advantage on the primary ballot.” New Jersey’s 10th District included three counties: Essex, Hudson, and Union. The Essex and Union county Democratic committees endorsed McIver in this race. During the Union County vote, state Senate President and county Democratic Chairman Nicholas Scutari (D) voted for Armstead. Linden, the town where Armstead held mayoral office, was located in Union County while Newark, located in Essex County, was where McIver sat on the city council. The Hudson County Democratic Committee chose not to endorse any primary candidate in the race.

Payne Jr. won the Democratic primary on June 4, 2024, six weeks after he died. State law allowed the party representatives from Essex, Hudson, and Union counties to choose a replacement candidate for the general election. That meeting was not expected to occur until after the July 16 special primary.

Payne Jr. was first elected in 2012 to replace his father, Donald Payne Sr. (D), who died from colon cancer in March 2012. Payne Sr. had first been elected in 1988 and was the first Black House member from New Jersey.

The general election was the first non-November special election held for a congressional district in New Jersey since 1950, when William Widnall (R) was elected to the 7th Congressional District following J. Parnell Thomas’ conviction on corruption charges.

Elections

2024

U.S. House

See also: New Jersey's 10th Congressional District special election, 2024

General election

Special general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 10

LaMonica McIver defeated Carmen Bucco, Russell Jenkins, and Rayfield Morton in the special general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 10 on September 18, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		LaMonica McIver (D)	81.4	27,402
		Carmen Bucco (R)	15.6	5,258
		Russell Jenkins (One for All)	1.6	530
		Rayfield Morton (Creating Real Progress)	1.4	476

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,666
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 10

The following candidates ran in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 10 on July 16, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		LaMonica McIver	47.4	12,507
		Derek Armstead	13.6	3,596
	Submit photo	Jerry Walker	9.7	2,568
	Submit photo	Darryl Godfrey	6.9	1,815
		Brittany Claybrooks	5.2	1,377
	Submit photo	Shana Melius	4.5	1,196
		Sheila Montague	3.7	966
		Alberta Gordon	2.9	756
		John J. Flora	2.6	684
		Eugene Mazo	2.2	586
	Submit photo	Debra Salters	1.2	316

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 26,367
= 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.
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Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 10

Carmen Bucco advanced from the special Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 10 on July 16, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carmen Bucco	100.0	2,015

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,015
= 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.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.

Election campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election. It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees. Click here to view the reporting schedule for candidates for U.S. Congress in 2022.

U.S. Congress campaign reporting schedule, 2022
Report	Close of books	Filing deadline
Year-end 2021	12/31/2021	1/31/2022
April quarterly	3/31/2022	4/15/2022
July quarterly	6/30/2022	7/15/2022
October quarterly	9/30/2022	10/15/2022
Pre-general	10/19/2022	10/27/2022
Post-general	11/28/2022	12/08/2022
Year-end 2022	12/31/2022	1/31/2023

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Derek Armstead	Democratic Party	$119,120	$119,352	$-232	As of December 31, 2024
Brittany Claybrooks	Democratic Party	$15,471	$15,183	$289	As of December 31, 2024
John J. Flora	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Darryl Godfrey	Democratic Party	$146,900	$146,900	$0	As of August 12, 2024
Alberta Gordon	Democratic Party	$12,882	$958	$11,864	As of June 30, 2024
Eugene Mazo	Democratic Party	$0	$1,232	$7,293	As of December 31, 2024
LaMonica McIver	Democratic Party	$454,854	$403,405	$51,449	As of August 29, 2024
Shana Melius	Democratic Party	$18,127	$12,755	$6,871	As of December 31, 2024
Sheila Montague	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Debra Salters	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Jerry Walker	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.

By candidate	By election
Derek Armstead Brittany Claybrooks John Flora Darryl Godfrey Eugene Mazo LaMonica McIver Shana Melius Jerry Walker	FEC satellite spending summary

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Salters in this election.

Newark Public Schools

See also: Newark Public Schools, New Jersey, elections (2024)

General election

General election for Newark Public Schools Board of Education (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Newark Public Schools Board of Education on April 16, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Helena Vinhas (Nonpartisan)	22.1	2,874
✔		Vereliz Santana (Nonpartisan)	22.1	2,870
✔		Dawn Haynes (Nonpartisan)	20.9	2,719
	Submit photo	Debra Salters (Nonpartisan)	11.1	1,448
		Sheila Montague (Nonpartisan)	8.4	1,091
	Submit photo	Latoya Jackson (Nonpartisan)	6.3	819
	Submit photo	Muta El-Amin (Nonpartisan)	3.2	421
		Che' J.T. Colter (Nonpartisan)	3.0	394
		Jimmie White (Nonpartisan)	2.8	366

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,002
= 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.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Salters in this election.

2021

See also: New Jersey General Assembly elections, 2021

General election

General election for New Jersey General Assembly District 29 (2 seats)

Incumbent Eliana Pintor Marin and incumbent Shanique Speight defeated Debra Salters in the general election for New Jersey General Assembly District 29 on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eliana Pintor Marin (D)	49.1	19,919
✔		Shanique Speight (D)	48.3	19,576
	Submit photo	Debra Salters (Salters for All Party)	2.6	1,037

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 40,532
= 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 29 (2 seats)

Incumbent Shanique Speight and incumbent Eliana Pintor Marin advanced from the Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 29 on June 8, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Shanique Speight	50.8	6,005
✔		Eliana Pintor Marin	49.2	5,814

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,819
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Steve Jose Poveda (D)

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Debra Salters completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Salters' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a native Newarker who loves my people. I am an educator, a mentor, a minority small business owner, a coach an advocate and a voice for the voiceless.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• We NEED affordable housing, and I am not talking about what the mayor and city council are considering affordable; where one needs to make a minimum of $80,000 annually to survive. The average resident makes between $16,.000 - $36,000 annuaIly, and according to the U.S. rubric, that is below the poverty line. Affordable for the average resident means low - moderate, not paying more than 30% of their income for a roof over their heads.
• We NEED Livable wages that will allow the average resident to live in what our urban mayors and city councils call affordable. How about starting with the minimum wage being $20/hr. now, not down the line?
• Re-directing some of the trillions given in foreign aid to District 10 for the betterment of our communities and research for illnesses plaguing our people such as CD-10.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The education, the safety, and protection of our children fuels my passion. We, as legislators, do not do enough to ensure that all children under our purview receive the best education in all cases. We have not supported our educators to the best of our ability, making them feel valued and appreciated for the jobs that they do. With America being known as the largest consumer of child sex, we need to be more vigilant and aware of the numbers of our children that go missing each year.
Public health is also a major priority. We need to figure out a way to make mental health facilities available to the public in all areas of District 10, as well as healthcare for those in need.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

"Shirley"

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

For the elected official to realize and understand, because they need to do both, that he / she is a public servant; not in place to be served by the public.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities if someone elected to this office are to be visible, accessible, and engaging with his / her community. The responsibilities are also, and most importantly, to regulate, investigate and legislate on behalf of the residents.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Storm

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Right now, what I see with the U.S. House of Representatives is a bunch of pettiness, bickering, and fighting amongst themselves and not them accomplishing much of anything for We, The People. What I would like to see, which I believe would make them stand out, is diplomacy, professionalism, and a true love for "All" of the Americans that they are supposed to be representing.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Previous experience could be beneficial but not necessarily so. I say this because I have seen and do see those who have been in offices for a long time with no evidence of experience being shown that being in place for the amount of time that they have has benefited We, The People in any way.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

I believe that the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade are foreign relations and immigration reform.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes, I do. In this time, one will have proven themselves to be up to the task of providing what the residents need or whether it is time to kick the individual to the curb and elect someone new. We have to get out of the habit of being in abusive relationships with our elected officials because legacy or history.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Absolutely, unequivocally, Yes!!! Term limits clear the way for fresh ideas, fresh eyes, and much less corruption in our government.
Because then, the quality of life for We, The People, and our issues don't become rote to those in power because of some back door deal that has been made.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Shirley Chisholm, and Harriet Tubman

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I, myself, as Warrior4thppl, hear many stories as well everyday. Just today, as I was walking to church, there was a woman with a very basic walker that approached me and said that she was trying to get enough money to get something to eat. I told her that I would go and get her something to eat and asked her what she wanted. She let me know that she had diabetes and couldn't have certain things. As she was looking me in my eyes while she was talking to me, the tears began to flow, naturally, so I knew that she was not lying. After walking to my vehicle, I drove back to see if she was still there, and she was. I went to Whole Foods and bought her something healthy, a natural drink that would balance out her sugar and a water. When I returned, she let me know that she was at that location trying to get a new bank card because someone took her pocketbook, and they knew her there. I urged her to eat first, because at this point, she was shaking more than before. I advised her who to speak with to resolve the situation.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I do believe that compromise is necessary for policy making but not to the detriment of We, The People.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

I am not sure what is meant by this question. It seems to suggest "power tripping" of some sort, which I have never had a problem with. The needs of the people are the priority in every case.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

The U.S. House should use its investigative powers to investigate corrupt judges, prosecutors, and public officials who put the citizens' lives at risk by not following the letter of the law and necessary procedures that benefit the people instead of the deals that they have on the table to make themselves look good.

What committees interest you?

Education and the workforce, financial services, and agriculture

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Financial transparency is paramount and one of the things that we lack most from our government. The government, no matter which branch, owes it to the residents to know where every penny has been spent, and / or misappropriated.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Debra Salters did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2021

Debra Salters did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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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.

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Debra Salters campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House New Jersey District 10	Lost primary	$0	N/A**
2021	New Jersey General Assembly District 29	Lost general	$0	$0
Grand total			$0	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

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U.S. House New Jersey District 10

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Footnotes

[show]

New Jersey's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Cory Booker (D)

Andrew Kim (D)

Representatives

District 1

Donald Norcross (D)

District 2

Jeff Van Drew (R)

District 3

Herbert Conaway (D)

District 4

Chris Smith (R)

District 5

Josh Gottheimer (D)

District 6

Frank Pallone (D)

District 7

Thomas Kean (R)

District 8

Robert Menendez (D)

District 9

Nellie Pou (D)

District 10

LaMonica McIver (D)

District 11

Mikie Sherrill (D)

District 12

Bonnie Coleman (D)

Democratic Party (11)

Republican Party (3)