Lisa Bender, a small business owner and sustainability consultant, announced her candidacy for Atlantic County clerk on Friday.
Bender will seek the endorsement of the Atlantic County Democratic Convention this Sunday; she has the recommendation of the party’s Candidate Recruitment Committee. A leader in the Somers Point Democratic Club, Bender said she would use the clerkship to protect voting rights from President Donald Trump’s attempts to influence election processes.
“The Trump Administration has made a concerted effort to attack voting rights,” Bender said in her announcement. “Trump wants to eliminate Vote by Mail, require two forms of identification to vote, and unconstitutionally nationalize our elections. I’m running for Atlantic County Clerk because we need courageous election officials across the country who will stand up for voting rights.”
Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo is seeking re-election to a second term. He was first elected in 2021, beating Democrat Lisa Jiampetti, the mayor of Egg Harbor City, in a 55%-45% win.
Bender unsuccessfully ran for Assembly in the 2nd legislative district in 2023. She criticized Giralo’s performance as clerk, saying his office has failed to operate elections efficiently and accurately.
“For years, Atlantic County has been an embarrassment when it comes to our election integrity,” said Bender. “From not certifying elections on time to egregious errors in the printing of mail-in ballots to forgetting provisional ballots on Election Day, the people of Atlantic County have been greatly inconvenienced.”
