Assembly Member Luanne Peterpaul (wearing red), a Democrat from Long Branch, championed a reproductive and gender-affirming rights bill signed this summer by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Photo credit: Gianna Puglisi/NJ State House News Service
By Gianna Puglisi
NJ State House News Service
TINTON FALLS, N.J. – Before Assembly Member Luanne Peterpaul, a Democrat from Long Branch, became the first openly gay woman to serve in the New Jersey State Assembly, she lived as a child on both sides of Newark’s Weequahic Park and observed socioeconomic shifts in her community before she could name them.
Before Peterpaul championed reproductive and gender-affirming rights beside Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill at a historic Montclair bill signing this summer, she was a law student balancing her journey of self-discovery between two states and two versions of herself.
In 2026, drawing on her multifaceted legal experience, Peterpaul acts with a full understanding of how her past connects with her present lifestyle, for both herself and her constituents. As a result, she shows an unyielding commitment to change, as the first sponsor of 52 bills, a primary sponsor of another 69, and a co-sponsor of more than 100 others.
“When I look at bills, it’s not only from the lens of being a member of the community…I think it’s important that there’s diversity sitting at the table. But it’s also (about) looking at how certain actions play out because it isn’t only the LGBTQ community that’s being attacked,” Peterpaul said. “Black people are being attacked, immigrants are being attacked, and we all need to understand that we need to stay together to uplift all of it, so that’s kind of why I try and do what I do.”
Since she entered politics in 2023, Peterpaul has worked to ensure New Jersey’s many voices are heard.
Background
Peterpaul recalls that certain turning points became watershed moments on her larger journey to the legislature. One of the first was her family’s move from Newark to Livingston’s sprawling suburbs, where she first saw how much a few miles and higher median income could change education systems.
“I went from a classroom size of 45, where I was excelling, to a classroom size of 23, where I was so far behind,” Peterpaul said. “Different zip codes meant different, different things.”
The move was an early lesson in the importance of surroundings. Later, after graduating from Livingston High School, Peterpaul attended Slippery Rock University (then Slippery Rock State College) in western Pennsylvania. But one year and many painstaking calls home later, she followed her gut south to Pittsburgh and finished her psychology degree at Duquesne University.
Upon leaving her undergraduate career, Peterpaul remembers feeling “lost” and unsure of what exactly she wanted to do. Her contemplation led to a deal.
What began as a vacation to the U.S. Virgin Islands became a six-month living experience that Peterpaul negotiated with her parents so long as she pledged to eventually return and complete law school. Peterpaul fondly reflected on her time renting mopeds to cruise-goers arriving on the island. Even then, immersed in tropical glory, her analytical wheels were turning. “That experience showed me the difference, again, about income,” she said. “Those that had [wealth] were high up in the mountains, and those that didn’t were lower in the urban area.”
Later, Peterpaul entered a relationship with a woman, unsure she would even get into Seton Hall Law or ever have to come home. But of course, she did.
The transition back came with its own struggles. Much of the self-discovery and relationships she made while away had to remain separate from the life she was returning to.
“I had my gay life in Pennsylvania, my straight life in New Jersey, and I lived that like that all through law school,” Peterpaul said.
But sometime between her law school graduation and the beginning of her career, Peterpaul’s seemingly split life became whole again. In 1983, she connected with her now-wife, and simultaneously, her life in law began.
She started out clerking for a judge, where she realized her passion for criminal law. When an opportunity arose at the prosecutor’s office, the male judge she clerked for told her he did not think a woman should hold the position.
“I applied anyway,” Peterpaul said. “A couple months later, I got into the prosecutor’s office in Essex County, and it really was a phenomenal experience, you know? You’re prosecuting crimes that you believe in, but you’re also coming to the realization that not everything is black and white.”
After two and a half years, she moved to a small criminal defense firm before opening her own practice with a friend. The firm later merged with her father’s, introducing her to employment law, which she still practices today as managing partner of Peterpaul Law. There, she was introduced to Garden State Equality, a prominent LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit, where she later served as board chair.
During her time with Garden State Equality, which predated the Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage equality, Peterpaul sought to expand the group’s initiative beyond the “one-issue” to broaden its reach. She approached anti-bullying legislation as an issue of interest, specifically in the context of the LGBTQ+ community.
“I look at what the vitriol that’s coming down, and specifically attacking the most vulnerable in the community, which is the trans community,” she said.
Legislation
Gender and reproductive protections bill S2260 is the most recent example of a Peterpaul-backed bill becoming law, but it certainly is not the only one. Her legislative work spans many spheres, all tied to conditions she’s seen and experienced as both a citizen and a lawmaker.
“My background in law, both from the civil aspect… and the criminal aspect, touches upon what I do in the legislature,” Peterpaul said.
Elected in 2023, one of the first issues that confronted Peterpaul as an assembly member came to light during her time on the Aging and Human Services Committee. She remembers a conversation about the affordability of menstrual products and how limited access affected young women’s education, something she hadn’t considered before.
“That’s when I realized the importance of being a legislator, and of addressing issues that aren’t really seen, but really have an impact,” Peterpaul said.
Another large focus of Peterpaul’s legislative work includes justice for children enduring any number of threats both in-person and digitally. For example, her bill A2312, which creates a new crime for those exploiting children through computer-generated images, unanimously passed the Assembly in March and an identical measure is pending in the Senate.
She also sponsored A2314, which would update and expand the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights to mitigate modern threats from cyberbullying and social media, and is awaiting a committee hearing. With a commitment to curiosity and justice, Peterpaul believes in “staying ahead” of issues children face to ensure the law can protect them when they’re most vulnerable.
“We need to be able to protect our kids,” she said. “What I’m looking at (is) how we can close some of the gaps in our legislation.”
Power and action:
Living by the water with her wife, Robin Kampf, and her dachshund and two cats is Peterpaul’s calm. She enjoys reading and cooking without recipes, drawing inspiration from her late grandfather and the most basic ingredients in her kitchen. A self-described introvert, Peterpaul values her close relationships most.
Assembly Member Margie Donlon, a Democrat from Ocean Township, has served alongside Peterpaul since they first campaigned for seats ahead of the 2023 election. She was there again in 2025, when District 11 voted to keep them.
“We have our differences, there’s no question, and not major differences, but we do, but we talk it through,” said Peterpaul about her relationship with Donlon. “We have each other’s back, no matter what we’re feeling at the time…it’s important that people understand we are a team.”
The feeling is mutual. Both Donlon and Peterpaul understand the importance of serving as a unified front for the district.
“I could not ask for a better running mate than Assemblywoman Peterpaul,” said Donlon. “We share a mutual respect for each other and a deep commitment to our constituents – and it makes us a great team. I am proud to serve LD11 with her.”
Peterpaul credited Sen. Vin Gopal, a Democrat from Long Branch who has served District 11 since 2018, with encouraging teamwork and collective action, something he has emphasized since he approached both Peterpaul and Donlon to run.
“Assemblywoman Peterpaul’s history of advocacy work has been a major asset to our team,” said Gopal. “She’s not afraid to take a look at complex issues and she understands how to bring the right people to the table to find solutions.”
No matter the legislative area or era of Peterpaul’s life, she seems to always try to learn something from what is presented to her, a skill that can only come to fruition through diligent listening. That’s what she said sets politicians apart, including Sherrill, who was “always open to listening” as a congresswoman, even before her run for governor.
“One of the most important things we can do as legislators is listen, and try not to engage in the rhetoric and the vitriol because it’s really easy to go down that path,” Peterpaul said. “You get more done by having a conversation.”
Gianna Puglisi is a junior journalism major at Rutgers University.
