# Antwan McClellan

Antwan McClellan is an American Republican Party politician who has represented the 1st Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since January 14, 2020. McClellan served as a councilman in Ocean City, New Jersey from 2012 until 2020.

## Personal and early life

McClellan is a lifelong resident of Ocean City. He is the youngest of six siblings. He attended Ocean City High School as well as Virginia State University and Old Dominion University. McClellan serves as the Confidential Assistant/Personnel Director/Public Information Officer in the Cape May County Sheriff's Department. He was first elected to the Ocean City Council in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016. He has also served as a member of the board of education of the Ocean City School District, a trustee on the Ocean City Historical Museum and a volunteer for the South Jersey Field of Dreams.

## New Jersey Assembly

McClellan started his bid for Assembly in early 2019. He ran as a team alongside Mike Testa and Erik Simonsen. McClellan alongside Simonsen ousted incumbents Bruce Land and Matt Milam. He was also the first African American Republican in the legislature since 2002.
Republicans attacked the Democratic-supporting General Majority PAC for darkening McClellan's face in a mailer, accusing them of racism and demanding the mailer be withdrawn. McClellan commented on the mailer, "The Democratic Party claims to be the party of inclusion. However, the moment a person of color like me disagrees with their narrative, they launch an ad hominem attack, whip out their best 'Aunt Jemima' photograph, and purposefully darken my complexion in order to suppress dissent."

### Tenure

McClellan was sworn into the Assembly on January 14, 2020, when the 219th New Jersey Legislature convened.

### Committee assignments

* Appropriations
* Homeland Security and State Preparedness
* Tourism Gaming and the Arts

### District 1

New Jersey's 1st Legislative District encompasses parts of Atlantic County, New Jersey, Cumberland County, New Jersey, and all of Cape May County, New Jersey. 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. The representatives from the 1st District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:
* Senator Mike Testa (R)
* Assemblyman Antwan McClellan (R)
* Assemblyman Erik Simonsen (R)

## Electoral history
### General Assembly

1st Legislative District General Election, 2023 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Erik Simonsen (incumbent) | 27,976 | 31.8 |
| | Republican | Antwan McClellan (incumbent) | 27,603 | 31.3 |
| | Democratic | Damita White-Morris | 16,257 | 18.5 |
| | Democratic | Eddie L. Bonner | 16,228 | 18.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 88,064 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
1st legislative district general election, 2021 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Erik Simonsen (incumbent) | 40,803 | 31.61% |
| | Republican | Antwan McClellan (incumbent) | 40,405 | 31.30% |
| | Democratic | John P. Capizola Jr. | 23,818 | 18.45% |
| | Democratic | Julia L. Hankerson | 23,055 | 17.86% |
| | Libertarian | Michael Gallo | 589 | 0.46% |
| | Libertarian | Jacob Selwood | 399 | 0.31% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 129,069 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2019 New Jersey General Assembly election for the 1st Legislative District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Erik Simonsen | 27,304 | 27.15% |
| | Republican | Antwan McClellan | 26,264 | 26.11% |
| | Democratic | Bruce Land (Incumbent) | 23,778 | 23.64% |
| | Democratic | Matthew W. Milam (Incumbent) | 23,234 | 23.10% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 100,508 | 100.0% |