William Sampson (politician)
William Sampson | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 31st district | |
| Assumed office January 11, 2022 Serving with Angela V. McKnight (2022–2024) Barbara McCann Stamato (2024–2026) Jerry Walker (2026–present) | |
| Preceded by | Nicholas Chiaravalloti |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 13, 1989 |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | Clark Atlanta University New Jersey City University |
| Website | Legislative webpage |
William B. Sampson IV (born January 13, 1989) is an American Democratic Party politician who represents the 31st Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since taking office on January 11, 2022.
Born and raised in Bayonne, New Jersey, Sampson graduated from Bayonne High School and then attended Clark Atlanta University, before heading back home and transferring to New Jersey City University.
New Jersey General Assembly
Sampson won the support of Mayor of Bayonne James Davis for the Assembly seat that had been held by Nicholas Chiaravalloti and won the June 2021 Democratic primary. He was elected in the 2021 New Jersey General Assembly election together with running mate Angela V. McKnight and became the first African American state legislator from the city when he took office.[1]
With Angela V. McKnight running for the State Senate seat that had been held by Sandra Bolden Cunningham, the Hudson County Democratic Organization chose Barbara McCann Stamato for the second Assembly seat.[2] McCann Stamato and Sampson defeated Republicans Angelique M. Diaz, Sydney J. Ferreira and two independent candidates in the 2023 New Jersey General Assembly election.[3][4]
In the June 2025 Democratic primary, Sampson and newcomer Jerry Walker ran together with the support of the Hudson County Democratic Organization and defeated fellow incumbent Barbara McCann Stamato, who bracketed together with Jacqueline Weimmer with the support of Jersey City mayor Steven Fulop.[5][6]
Committees
Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[7]
- Consumer Affairs (as chair)
- Labor (as vice-chair)
District 31
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.[8] The representatives from the 31st District for the 2026–2027 session are:[9]
- Senator Angela V. McKnight (D)
- Assemblyman William Sampson (D)
- Assemblywoman Jerry Walker (D)
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Barbara McCann Stamato | 13,003 | 34.7 | |
| Democratic | William Sampson (incumbent) | 12,883 | 34.4 | |
| Republican | Sydney J. Ferreira | 4,237 | 11.3 | |
| Republican | Angelique M. Diaz | 4,153 | 11.1 | |
| Leadership Experience Values | Mary Jane Desmond | 1,724 | 4.6 | |
| Leadership Experience Values | Noemi Velazquez | 1,443 | 3.9 | |
| Total votes | 37,443 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Angela V. McKnight (incumbent) | 26,187 | 38.30% | |
| Democratic | William Sampson | 24,810 | 36.28% | |
| Republican | Rose Javier | 8,817 | 12.89% | |
| Republican | Brandon Vila | 8,565 | 12.53% | |
| Total votes | 68,379 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
- ^ Israel, Daniel. "Meet William Sampson; The Bayonne crane operator will likely be the next assemblyman for the 31st Legislative District" Archived January 11, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, June 8, 2021. Accessed January 11, 2022. "Sampson went to Washington Community School before attending Bayonne High School, where he helped the basketball team win its first league title in over 30 years in 2005. He graduated in 2007 with a full scholarship to Clark Atlanta University, an Historically Black University (HBCU). After two years at Clark, Sampson returned to New Jersey, attending New Jersey City University (NJCU).... If elected, Sampson will be the first Black legislator from Bayonne in the state assembly."
- ^ Rosario, Joshua. "Sandra Cunningham out, Stamato in as Hudson Dem group announces candidates for 31st District", The Jersey Journal, March 7, 2023. Accessed January 10, 2024. "A 20-year-run at the highest level of local politics came to an unceremonious end Tuesday when an ailing state Sen. Sandra Cunningham was replaced on the county Democratic party’s list of 31st District candidates in the November elections.... But Tuesday, via a whisper campaign and then a press release, the county was told Assemblywoman Angela McKnight would run for Cunningham’s senate seat in the June primary and Barbara Stamato — the powerful Hudson County Democratic Organization’s vice chairwoman head of the Jersey City Democratic Organization — would run for one of the two assembly seats currently held by McKnight and William Sampson IV."
- ^ Connolly, John. "NJ election results 2023: State Senate, Assembly seats decided", The Record, November 9, 2023. Accessed December 23, 2023.
- ^ Official List Candidates for General Assembly for General Election November 7, 2023, New Jersey Department of State, December 6, 2023. Accessed December 23, 2023.
- ^ Fox, Joey. "Sampson, Walker win in LD31; Party-backed ticket won close primary in southern Hudson County district", New Jersey Globe, November 4, 2025. Accessed January 14, 2026. "Assemblyman William Sampson (D-Bayonne) and Hudson County Commissioner Jerry Walker (D-Jersey City) have won two seats in the 31st legislative district, the New Jersey Globe projects, after getting through a competitive Democratic primary against allies of Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop.... This year's Hudson County War, however, threw things out of whack. Sampson stuck with the Hudson County Democratic organization (HCDO), which endorsed Mikie Sherrill for governor, but McCann Stamato remained loyal to Fulop, creating a split in the delegation; the HCDO recruited Walker to beat McCann Stamato, who was joined on her own ticket by Bayonne Councilwoman Jacqueline Weimmer."
- ^ Official List Candidates for General Assembly for Primary Election 06/10/2025 Election, New Jersey Department of State, updated July 17, 2025. Accessed January 14, 2026.
- ^ Assemblyman William B. Sampson IV (D), New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 25, 2024.
- ^ New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022.
- ^ Legislative Roster for District 31, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 14, 2026.
- ^ "Candidates for General Assembly - For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/02/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.