Vin Gopal
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 11th district
Assumed office
January 9, 2018
Preceded byJennifer Beck
Personal details
Born (1985-05-18) May 18, 1985 (age 38)
Neptune Township, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationPennsylvania State University (BA)
Rutgers University, Newark (MPA)

Vinod Gopal (born May 18, 1985) is an American Democratic politician who took office on January 9, 2018, to represent the 11th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate, which covers portions of Monmouth County. Prior to his election to the Senate, Gopal served as Chairman of the Monmouth County Democratic Party.

Early life

Gopal's family is from Southern India. His parents came to the United States in the early 1970s and settled in New Jersey. Gopal was born in Neptune Township and grew up in Freehold Township.[1] He graduated in 2003 from Ranney School in Tinton Falls, New Jersey.[2] Gopal holds a bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University and a master's degree from Rutgers University. He is the founder and president of Direct Development, LLC and owner of the Monmouth County-based Community Magazine.[3] He grew Direct Development to two locations – in Hazlet and Tinton Falls.[4] He is a resident of Long Branch.[5] While in high school and college, Senator Gopal served as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician and First Responder and Certified First Aid Instructor for the Colts Neck Township and Freehold Township First Aid Squads.[6] Gopal served on the Board of Trustees of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Monmouth County from 2010 to 2012. Gopal previously served on the board of directors of the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce, now called the Monmouth County Chamber of Commerce, from 2009 to 2012. From 2010 to 2013, Gopal served as President of the Hazlet Business Owners Association.[7] Gopal is also President of the Vin Gopal Civic Association, a 501c3 organization, which helps local families and charities in need.[8]

New Jersey General Assembly campaign

In 2011, Gopal, at the age of 26, ran for the office of Assembly in the 11th Legislative District alongside Red Bank Councilwoman Kathleen Horgan. Gopal and Horgan were defeated by Republican incumbents Caroline Casagrande and Mary Pat Angelini.[9]

Monmouth County Democratic Party

The following year, Gopal ran for Chairman of the Monmouth County Democratic Organization. He was elected Chairman with 73% of the vote.[10] As Chairman, Gopal led the 2015 campaign for General Assembly, where he helped oust Republican incumbents Caroline Casagrande and Mary Pat Angelini by newcomers Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey, in what was widely considered a major upset.[11] As Chairman, Gopal was featured in PolitickerNJ.com's 100 Most Powerful people in New Jersey Politics in 2015 and 2016.[12] In 2017, Gopal resigned the Chairmanship, announcing his intention to run for Senate in the 11th Legislative District against Republican incumbent Jennifer Beck.[13] Gopal ran alongside first-term Democratic incumbents Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling and Assemblywoman Joann Downey.[14]

New Jersey Senate

In November 2017, Gopal was elected to the State Senate.[15] Gopal is the first Indian-American to be elected to New Jersey's State Senate,[16] and his victory was described by NJ.com as "perhaps the biggest upset of the night."[17] Gopal won by 4,158 votes – dramatically outperforming Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Phil Murphy. Gopal won numerous towns which Murphy lost, including Eatontown and Ocean Township.[18] On January 9, 2018, shortly after his swearing-in, Gopal was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee as well as a member of the Economic Growth Committee and Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. He is currently the youngest member of the New Jersey State Senate.[19] On April 4, 2018, Gopal was named Senate Majority Conference Leader and Chairman of the Bipartisan Legislative Manufacturing Caucus. Gopal took both positions from Senator Robert M. Gordon, who resigned to accept a position with the BPU.[20] On January 1 of 2019, Gopal was appointed Chairman of the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.[21]

In the 2021 elections, Republicans outperformed expectations statewide, with Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli winning 2,500 more votes than incumbent Governor Phil Murphy in the 11th district and both Houghtaling and Downey losing re-election. Gopal nevertheless was narrowly re-elected as Senator by a margin of approximately 2,600 votes, running more than 5,000 votes ahead of Murphy; he was the only Democratic state legislator to win in a district carried by Ciattarelli.[22] As a result of Houghtaling and Downey's losses, he was also left as the only Democrat representing Monmouth County in the state legislature.

In the 2023 elections, Gopal won by 21 percentage points against Republican Steve Dnistrian, outperforming expectations in what was forecasted to be a competitive race. Gopal's Democratic running mates for seats in the General Assembly, Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul, defeated Republican incumbents Marilyn Piperno and Kimberly Eulner by smaller margins.[23]

Committees

Committee assignments for the 2024-2025 session are:[24]

District 11

Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly.[25] The representatives from the 11th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[26]

Electoral history

Senate

New Jersey 11th Senate district election, 2023[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Vin Gopal (incumbent) 34,350 60.3 Increase 8.4
Republican Steve Dnistrian 22,172 38.9 Decrease 9.2
NJ Patriot Karen Zaletel 439 0.8
Total votes 56,961 100.0
Democratic hold
New Jersey 11th Senate district election, 2021[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Vin Gopal 36,978 51.9 Decrease 1.7
Republican Lori L. Annetta 34,296 48.1 Increase 1.7
Total votes 71,274 100.0
Democratic hold
New Jersey 11th Senate district election, 2017[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Vin Gopal 31,308 53.6 Increase 14.8
Republican Jennifer Beck (incumbent) 27,150 46.4 Decrease 13.6
Total votes 58,458 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican

Assembly

New Jersey general election, 2011[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Caroline Casagrande 18,739 26.8
Republican Mary Pat Angelini 18,479 26.4
Democratic Vin Gopal 15,392 22.0
Democratic Kathleen Horgan 15,060 21.5
Demand A Voice Daniel Jacobson 2,358 3.4
Total votes 70,028 100.0

Personal life

Gopal married to Christina Zuk in September 2019.[31][32][33]

See also

References

  1. ^ Staff. "Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal To Seek Beck's Senate Seat", The Monmouth Journal, January 2, 2017. Accessed November 28, 2017. "Born in Neptune Township and raised in Freehold Township, Gopal says that it is time for new leadership to tackle New Jersey's grave fiscal problems."
  2. ^ "State Senate Hopeful Vin Gopal on his Ranney Foundations", Ranney School. Accessed January 25, 2022. "The Class of 2003’s Vin Gopal, a Long Branch resident, is currently running in the 2017 electoral race for the New Jersey State Senate’s District 11, which includes 18 towns in Monmouth County."
  3. ^ "Vin Gopal, LinkedIn".
  4. ^ "Home". Direct Development: Design + Communications. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  5. ^ "Meet Vin".
  6. ^ "Gopal Makes His Senate Candidacy Official in LD11". Observer. January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  7. ^ "Vin Gopal Biography". Vote Smart.
  8. ^ "Home". Vin Gopal Civic Association. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  9. ^ Van Embden, Edward (November 9, 2011). "District 11 Democratic Challengers Look Ahead Following Defeat". Red Bank Patch.
  10. ^ Pizarro, Max (June 13, 2012). "Gopal beats LaRocca to lead Monmouth Dems". The New York Observer.
  11. ^ "The Dynamics of the LD11 Win Heading Into 2016". Observer. November 4, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  12. ^ "Vin Gopal, Indian American included in Top 100 in Power List 2015". South Brunswick, NJ Patch. November 29, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  13. ^ Pizarro, Max (January 3, 2017). "Gopal Makes His Senate Candidacy Official in LD11". Observer.
  14. ^ "Legislative District 11". NJ Spotlight. October 9, 2017.
  15. ^ "General Election Results, 2017".
  16. ^ Dutt, Ela. ""Mara Chokra Ne Jitadvo Che," Indian-Americans win key seats in New Jersey". News India Times.
  17. ^ Sullivan, S.P.; Johnson, Brent (November 8, 2017). "N.J. election results 2017: How the dramatic legislative races shook out". NJ.com.
  18. ^ "New Jersey Department of State - Division of Elections - 2017 Election Information Archive". www.njelections.org. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  19. ^ "Vin Gopal (D)". www.njleg.state.nj.us. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  20. ^ "Sweeney Names Diegnan, Singleton & Gopal to Leadership Positions". April 4, 2018.
  21. ^ "Sweeney ousts Stack, Gill from Judiciary Committee". December 27, 2018.
  22. ^ "Gopal: Voters sent a message that can't be ignored". November 23, 2021.
  23. ^ Fox, Joey. "Where did Vin Gopal do best? Everywhere.; Democratic senator carried 17 of 19 towns in theoretically competitive district", New Jersey Globe, November 13, 2023. Accessed January 18, 2024. "But when results actually started coming in, it was clear that Gopal had been dramatically underestimated. The two-term Democrat beat Dnistrian by nearly 12,000 votes, 33,558 to 21,866 – an astonishing 60%-39% margin. (Those numbers remain unofficial for now, with provisional ballots still to be counted.)... Gopal’s victory was easily enough to get his two running mates, Assemblywomen-elect Margie Donlon (D-Ocean Township) and Luanne Peterpaul (D-Long Branch), elected against incumbent Republicans Marilyn Piperno (R-Colts Neck) and Kim Eulner (R-Shrewsbury).... Donlon and Peterpaul currently have a combined 56.5% of the vote, an extremely robust total against two incumbents."
  24. ^ Senator Vin Gopal (D), New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 22, 2024.
  25. ^ New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022.
  26. ^ Legislative Roster for District 11, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 22, 2024.
  27. ^ "Official List, Candidates for State Senate for GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  28. ^ "Official List, Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 06/08/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  29. ^ "2017-official-general-election-results-state-senate.pdf" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  30. ^ "2011-official-gen-elect-gen-assembly-results-121411.pdf" (PDF). sussex.nj.us. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  31. ^ Lassiter, Jay. "NJ Power Couples: InsiderNJ’s 2017 Edition", Insider NJ, November 2, 2017. Accessed August 14, 2023. "Christina Zuk + Vin Gopal She’s a lobbyist at Princeton Public Affairs Group & he’s the Democratic candidate for NJ Senate in Monmouth County."
  32. ^ Kaufman, Alexander C. "After Blocking Gas Bans In Red States, Fossil Fuel Industry Eyes New Jersey", Huffington Post, July 12, 2022. Accessed August 14, 2023. "Christina Zuk, Gopal’s wife, is a lobbyist at Princeton Public Affairs Group who works for companies including BP America and pipeline builders Kinder Morgan and T.C. Energy."
  33. ^ New Jersey State Sen. Vin Gopal, LegiStorm. Accessed August 14, 2023. "Married: Christina Zuk, Sept. 8, 2019 in Marlboro, N.J."
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