Christopher Gagliardi

Photo courtesy of Chistopher Gagliardi

Gagliardi votes at his Englewood polling station at 6:05am.

Christopher Gagliardi, a 28-year-old autistic man who wants to be a voice for the disabled in Trenton, doesn’t stand much chance of ousting incumbents Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Englewood) and Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood) in today’s 37th district Democratic primary for state Assembly.

But Gagliardi’s candidacy attracted a significant amount of media attention after PolitickerNJ.com first reported it in April, including segments on NY1 and My9.  

“This is indeed history in the making,” Gagliardi, an Englewood resident, wrote in an email this afternoon.  “I've already won no matter what!”

Christopher Gagliardi, 28, is challenging Valerie Vainieri Huttle and Gordon Johnson for an assembly seat

After months of speculation, Assembly Democrats Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood) and Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Englewood) will face a primary challenge after all.

But it appears that it will not be a bloody one.

“They’ve done a very, very good job. I have no ill will towards them,” said their challenger, Christopher Gagliardi.  “As a matter of fact, they recognized me as a hero in Bergen County, and I am indebted to them for all they’ve done so far.”

Gagliardi, a 28-year-old Englewood resident, was born with infantile autism.  Doctors would eventually advise his mother, Lynda Grace Monahan, to put him in a group home and medicate him with Ritalin.

“My mother defied them and said I could go places,” he said.  “This assembly race will be a great adventure.”

Eight Assembly candidates left little room for error on their nominating petitions, and could be subject to a challenge if they fail to have the 100 valid signatures necessary to secure a place on the June primary ballot:

Incumbents will face primary challengers in two other State Assembly districts.  Avi Solomon, who writes a political column for the Lakewood Shopper, will challenge incumbents Joseph Malone (R-Bordentown) and Ronald Dancer (R-Plumsted) in the 30th district GOP primary.

Andre Reames, a Hillside Democratic activist, will challenge incumbents Albert Coutinho (D-Newark) and Grace Spencer (D-Newark) in the 29th district Democratic primary.  Christopher Gagliardi has filed to run in the Democratic primary against Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Englewood) and Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood) in District 37.