By Jennifer Ersalesi
For over a decade, lifelong Rutherford resident Stephanie McGowan has been involved in local and county politics. Council President McGowan was selected as one of the Delegates who will represent two of the legislative districts of NJ at the Democratic National Convention. This is Rutherford interviewed McGowan to learn more about how she became a Delegate, her political career, and why she is proud to call Rutherford her hometown.
TIR: Congratulations on being elected to represent NJ at the Democratic National Convention. You will represent legislative districts #36 and #38 this weekend in Chicago. Could you tell us what this opportunity means to you?
Stephanie McGowan: The opportunity to represent Legislative Districts 36 and 38 is so humbling. Growing up, my family always watched the conventions to learn about the candidates and their policy positions. As I matured and became a parent myself understanding policy platforms and positions became more important for our family. Now as an elected person myself, I have a deeper understanding of the connectivity and differences between the national policy discussions and the issues we face daily in our community. Over the past few weeks, the landscape of this Chicago convention has changed immensely. As an elected woman, I am beyond excited to see the discussion about representation being moved to the forefront. New Jersey is an incredibly diverse state with one of the most diverse delegations in the country. I am truly honored to represent our constituency as a voting delegate, and excited to cast my delegate support for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice President of the United States of America.
TIR: How were you elected as a Delegate?
SM: Several months ago, the New Jersey State Democratic Committee launched an application process for delegate consideration. I, and thousands of others, applied. After carefully responding to the survey questionnaire, a committee representing the DNC and the NJSDC vetted all who applied. Five delegates in total were selected from municipalities located in NJ Districts 36 & 38. Once we were notified of our selection, each of us had to solicit 50 signatures from registered Democrats who supported us to represent our legislative districts and we were then included in the June Democratic Primary ballot. It was an absolute honor to be listed under the Democratic nominees for the President of the United States. Thankfully, registered Democrats in Districts 36 & 38 overwhelmingly elected all five of us to represent our constituents in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention.
TIR: Tell us more about your political career.
SM: In 2014, I decided to run for Rutherford Borough Council and won my first election. On January 1, 2015, I was sworn in as Councilwoman. Since that moment, I have been re-elected 3 times (2017, 2020 & 2023) as Councilwoman, and have been elected by my fellow Council members as Council President 4 times (2018, 2019, 2023, & 2024). I have never taken one day of service for granted and look forward to continuing in public service for years to come!
As Councilwoman, I proudly sponsored the creation of the Rutherford Access for All committee and remain committed to building Rutherford as an inclusive community that recognizes and celebrates ALL residents and their abilities. Among my many
accomplishments as an elected leader, I am most proud of the redevelopment of “Kid Spot” as a fully accessible and inclusive playground for ALL, and I am currently spearheading the effort for responsible development that includes supportive housing to address the challenges and needs of those with disabilities. I was appointed and continue to serve on the Bergen County Advisory Board for Disability Services since 2015, and was the recipient of the Outstanding Women in Government award by the New Jersey League
of Municipalities for my effort and passion in building equitable and accessible communities.
In 2018, I was an invited speaker at the United Nations at the Conference for Women and Girls in Science, to discuss the evolving roles of Women as professionals, mothers, community activists, and elected leaders. Currently, I am the Chairwoman of the New Jersey State Democratic Committee Disability Caucus, and I am working with State, County, and Local elected officials to develop meaningful workforce development and housing opportunities promoting independence for all individuals with physical and developmental disabilities.
TIR: What are you looking forward to while attending the Convention?
SM: I am excited to attend the caucus events that are being held all week long, particularly the Disabilities Caucus and the Women's Caucus. These events are focused on policy initiatives but also serve as a "think tank" to learn about best practices happening across the country.
In addition to the delegate work happening each day representing our great state, I am most excited to be on the convention floor casting my delegate vote for Kamala Harris for President and Tim Walz for Vice President. As an elected woman, casting my delegate vote for a woman is significant because representation matters. I will never forget the moment I shared with my daughter that I am going to Chicago to nominate an educated, professional, successful woman to be President of the United States. She hugged me and said she couldn't wait to watch it live and asked me to video it happening for us to watch together when I get back home. That's one promise I intend to keep.
TIR: You are a true Rutherfordian. What do you love most about Rutherford?
SM: Rutherford has meant so much to me during different phases of my life. This Borough raised me. I played on our fields and graduated from Union School (1986) and Rutherford High School (1990). I met my husband, Jeff McGowan, who grew up in the house we now call home on Jackson Avenue. Rutherford is the only home my children have ever known. In some of the most trying moments of my life, this Borough was more than a place I lived; it was a place that kept me safe, allowed me to build lifelong friendships, and helped me to grow as a person.
I unapologetically believe that Rutherford is the jewel of South Bergen County and I consider it an enormous honor and responsibility to represent this Borough. I love how welcoming our community is. I love the diversity of our Borough and our willingness to celebrate and champion that diversity. I love that people compare walking down Park Avenue to that of a Hallmark movie and rave about our restaurants and businesses being so incredible. I love that I can take a walk around our fields and watch our kids playing and families cheering with Bulldog pride. But what I love the most is something I can't necessarily quantify. I love the spirit of who we are as a community. The people. Whether we agree or disagree, one thing is always a constant, we love our Borough. We love Rutherford. As the saying goes, "Once a Bulldog, Always a Bulldog."
TIR: Anything else you would like to add?
SM: I'm thrilled to be selected for this honor, but I am keenly aware of my "why" for attending. Outside of the fanfare and flair of a national convention, I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn and share ideas with others from across the country and bring back those connections to our Borough and the constituents across Districts 36 & 38. I'm also mindful that so many were involved in championing my candidacy and affording me this opportunity to participate in the national political process of selecting the candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. I would like to extend my sincerest appreciation to NJSDC Chairman Jones, Bergen County Democratic Chairman Juliano, District 36 Democratic Chairwoman McPhersen, Rutherford Democratic Chairwoman Ross, and our entire Rutherford Democratic County Committee for their support of this amazing opportunity. I would also like to personally acknowledge Mayor Nunziato and Councilmembers Begg-Roberson, Guzman, Cokeley, Quatrone, and Del Rey-Cone for their encouragement and support throughout the entire selection process. I'm ready to bring the best of Rutherford to the DNC!
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