Monica Brinson is a 2025 candidate
for Governor of New Jersey.

Disrupt the Corrupt.

Currently serving as a substitute teacher for the Bergen County, Paterson, and Newark school districts, the Hackensack, New Jersey native earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology at Rowan University and her Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Centenary University. Monica has a decorated background in multiple fields, including sales and marketing, where she was a pharmaceutical sales representative and trainer for over 10 years; the retail industry, where she worked in the Human Resources department and as a team member at Target; and advising, where she functioned as a mock interviewer for Rutgers Business School. Although she created an extensive career in diverse endeavors, Monica was always aware that she was destined to run for political office.

Much like Martin Luther King Jr., “I have audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.”

Early Political Ambitions and Journey

Monica’s political roots began developing in Hackensack Middle School when she first ran and won the election for classroom representative one year and was elected student council president the following year. During her time at Hackensack High School, Monica was elected class president for all four years and served as freshman class president in college at Rowan University. Transformational inspirational leadership has always been ingrained in Monica's DNA and is part of the reason why she never backed down from hardship or challenging situations. The first form of political office that Monica ran for on a state level was the New Jersey governorship in 2017. The defining and pivotal moment in Monica's political journey stemmed from sitting in hours long Bridgegate traffic, which allowed her to have a period of contemplation and reflection. Dissatisfied and tired of the contentious, acrimonious, and corrupt nature of New Jersey politics under Former Governor Chris Christie, Monica decided that she was going to make a difference from the inside and fix a shattered and defunct system; it was then that she made the life changing declaration that she was going to run for governor.

Presidential Bid

Another huge milestone for Monica was becoming a presidential candidate in the 2024 United States Election; it was a powerful moment for her to write herself in to be nominated. Although she couldn’t push her campaign directives the way she had hoped due to being diagnosed with, and overcoming sarcoma cancer, she was in awe at seeing her name among the other contenders. She is always prepared to jump into any position that can improve the lives and circumstances of many and holds deep gratitude for the wonderful work she managed to accomplish during that period, along with the unforgettable opportunity to make her childhood dream a reality. She is truly thankful to all of the people who extended their backing and support.

Monica's Role in the Recall Committee and Campaign Work

On top of Monica’s vast portfolio and being on the presidential and governor’s electoral ballot, she was also one of the lead founders and architects of the recall committee to repeal Governor Phil Murphy due to him being a less than sub-par leader. She was exasperated with Governor Murphy’s ineptitude and the countless actionable items that were continuously being ignored. The recall represented another major pinnacle in Monica’s political career because it was the first time anyone had the courage and fortitude to recall a governor, which might’ve eventually led to the recall in California. This event woke New Jersey up, letting residents know that they had the power to be the change they wanted to see when things were no longer working in their favor.

Concurrently, Monica has worked on various campaigns as a candidate coach, bringing the candidates’ platform and causes to life, while making them pop as individuals. Monica has a flair for transforming candidates into powerhouses, significantly propelling their momentum in numerous political spheres and public arenas. Besides performing duties for Former Lieutenant Governor Guadagno, one of Monica’s most noteworthy assignments was working on Republican contender Bridget Anne Kelly’s 2021 campaign as a chief political strategist. Kelly’s reputation was tarnished after she served as the former top aide to Former Governor Christie, who was embroiled in the infamous “Bridgegate” scandal. When the GOPer was in the process of making a political comeback, Monica was able to highlight her positive qualities and capabilities as a person, reestablishing some legitimacy and credibility to her election race while simultaneously counteracting what the media painted her as. Monica also delved into the role as a social media content strategist for Bob Hugin during his Senate run in 2018, devising innovative, top-notch branded content and unique visual concepts that were stunning, informative, and captivating, ultimately prompting thought leadership and audience traction to his campaign. Monica staunchly had faith in all of the candidates she worked alongside, believing that they would exceptionally bring about much needed political and social reform.

Always staying actively and civically involved, Monica is also a freelance Republican political strategist, counseling and collaborating with fellow GOP colleagues across a plethora of counties to incentivize cohesion among Republican Party members, spearhead current public policies and communication channels in local branches and increase voter turnout in different socioeconomic and multiracial neighborhoods. Monica envisioned and conceptualized the NJGOP Leadership Summit, a creative initiative that helps bring Republicans together so they can learn successful branding techniques, decipher how vote-by-mail operates, and understand the inner functions of government. This in turn, helps them remain in-tune with their constituents’ pain points and fully encapsulate their roles as public servants. Once again making history, Monica is one of the first, if not one of the only, African American Republicans to create such an event.

As an unsung hero, Monica is usually orchestrating all the tasks behind the scenes, making sure that everything is seamless and benefits not just New Jersey, but the country as a whole. In addition to the Leadership Summit, Monica produced the NJGOP Woman of the Year Award ceremony honoring Former Lieutenant Governor Guadagno. Around the globe, women have been marginalized, Monica wanted to celebrate and pay homage to Guadagno, who as a Republican woman not just stands for the GOP Party, but for all people regardless of political ties. Constantly striving for more, Monica is also a member of the Republican County

Committee in Bergen County. Additionally, she was featured in her sorority, Delta Zeta, magazine and had several speaking engagements as a gubernatorial candidate, including giving a presentation at the Women for Women event in New Jersey.

Monica's Vision for a Better New Jersey as a Gubernatorial Candidate

Using her voice for the voiceless is extremely important to Monica, who hopes to uphold justice and promote meaningful change, starting with her gubernatorial campaign trail. Integrity, honesty, fearlessness, ambition, and transformational inspirational leadership are core values and principles she diligently internalizes. What Monica brings to the table as a gubernatorial candidate is the ability to break generational poverty, hold New Jersey responsible for its actions, sustain economic stability, reshape outdated practices, and ensure that the Garden State will begin to grow again under the Brinson Administration. After working in hostile environments, Monica has developed the aptitude to adapt to demanding situations and have tough

conversations. As governor, Monica will shine a bright light on corruption locally and globally during her terms by conducting forensic audits into government budgeting and spending and revamping and dispelling nefarious activities within the bureaucratic system. Cracking down on illegal immigration, building a path for legal integration, examining and reducing astronomically high property taxes, tackling the affordable housing calamity and gentrification, lowering inflation, and championing women’s rights worldwide is another priority of hers. An additional set of items that’s high on her list is limiting product outsourcing, allocating funds to small New Jersey-based businesses, eliminating human trafficking, establishing harsher penalties for crimes against children, endorsing capitalistic resourcefulness, and supporting the fight for democracy in every county.

For the Black community specifically, Monica wants to break the cycle of Black men being disproportionately targeted and incarcerated, therefore getting people out of jail who were placed there on minor, nonviolent drug offenses. Her desire is to cultivate a secure environment in underserved communities, determine the underlying causes behind the issues that are affecting the Black community, shutdown the school-to-prison pipeline, combat racism and discrimination, remove incompetent leaders, properly train the police force, and investigate why there is a lack of preparedness between the classroom and the career sector. We have a major literacy crisis due to broken and poorly funded schools. High-quality learning and reading are key factors that Monica wants to implement in these inner-city areas, filling people’s backpacks with books instead of unlawful substances. Furthermore, Monica wants to mobilize efforts in expelling illegal guns, prostitution, and drugs off the street. She wants everyone to feel safe, from the streets of Newark to Neptune, and someday rebuild Black Wall Street. The day Monica announces her gubernatorial bid is the day real progress starts and the Black community goes from surviving to thriving.

Advocacy, Service, and Mentorship

Monica served as an Eligibility Analyst Supervisor for Renew Jersey Stronger in 2013, working around the clock to make sure New Jerseyans got the resources they needed in relief, repair, protection, and restoration efforts during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. During her time there, she managed approximately 90 fantastic and hardworking people who stopped everything to lend aid to their neighbors. Many of them happened to be unemployed and underemployed like herself at the time or they were single parents who came from arduous beginnings. When her and her team weren’t assisting as many Hurricane Sandy victims as possible in rebuilding their storefronts and homes, Monica was galvanizing them into defying injustice. She had witnessed firsthand how political power and personal gain could delay crucial hurricane support, so she taught the staff interviewing skills and how to leverage themselves in a corporate setting to achieve powerful gains. Whether it’s sending colleagues phone numbers to the Senator’s office if their unemployment claim was denied or detailing steps to obtain their SNAP benefits, she always wants to ensure that people have ample access to public tools and programs. Other acts of service that Monica’s heavily involved in is combating food insecurity and offering more permanent housing. She has volunteered at Fulfill, which is a food bank in Monmouth and Ocean County and Habitat for Humanity in Paterson.

Making an impact in people’s lives is what drives Monica’s momentum. One of her most significant contributions is guiding the next generation. When she was a teaching fellow for College and Career Readiness at Great Oaks Legacy Charter High School, she informed her 75 high school juniors that there’s more to life than their immediate surroundings and to envision themselves in a broader capacity. Mentorship and entrepreneurship are additional avenues that she spends a lot of her time on by providing invaluable advice to all professionals, with a particular focus on small Black-owned businesses and local trailblazing influencers. Monica wants to further nurture their talents, propel their mission statement, and maintain stability and growth in their ever-changing niches and fields. In spite of the adversity Monica faces or the lashes she receives for being Black, she’s always going to wear her birthday suit proudly. She takes pride in her African American lineage regardless of whatever life throws at her. Even after being called the N-word or facing job discrimination, she never lost sight of achieving, prevailing over, and creating new opportunities for whoever she encounters each and every day.

Personal Life and Pursuits Beyond Politics

Family and community mean everything to Monica, whose biggest accomplishment is being her mother’s daughter. Her mother, Reverend Gladys Brinson, passed away in 2020 and was a beloved and influential pillar within the community, most importantly, she raised an incredible family. She believed in Monica and her siblings, breathed life and positive affirmations into them, and loved them unconditionally. Reverend Brinson was Monica’s greatest campaign manager and always motivated her to reach for the stars and follow her dreams. Monica aspires to embody and carry out her mother’s legacy and generous spirit by spreading love, warmth, humor, and joy while making the world a better place.

When Monica’s not out here changing the world, you can find her writing her book, “The Governor’s Run: You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up,” planning a trip, helping someone launch a business, walking the halls of an art museum, or taking her dad to the park on Sundays. Her favorite pastimes are hanging out with family and friends, traveling, joking, eating soul food, laughing out loud, reading, meeting people, going on adventures, and having fun. She enjoys living life to the fullest and appreciates the beauty in everything, including the constituents she hopes to one day represent as the governor of New Jersey.

 

 

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