Meet TEAM MONMOUTH
Learn more about State Senator Vin Gopal, Dr. Margie Donlon, and Luanne Peterpaul, Esq.
State Senator Vin Gopal
“I was fortunate to be born and raised in Monmouth County, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to build my life here.”
Born at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune and raised in Freehold, Vin Gopal is a lifelong resident of Monmouth County. He worked his first job during high school as a busboy at Perkin’s Diner. He spent many years as a volunteer EMT with the Colts Neck and Freehold First Aid Squads, where he also served as a line officer as 2nd Lieutenant of Colts Neck’s Cadet Squad. He spent years as a Certified American Red Cross CPR and First Aid Instructor, certifying hundreds of Monmouth County residents in CPR and life-saving first aid skills. After graduating from Penn State University and earning his Masters Degree in Public Administration from Rutgers, Vin helped build several successful small-businesses and became a member of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union 400 in Wall Township. During that time, he volunteered as President of the Hazlet Township Business Owners Association, Board of Trustees Member for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Monmouth County, & Board of Directors for the then-Monmouth County Chamber of Commerce. In 2013, he launched and became the Founder/President of the Vin Gopal Civic Association, a 501c(3) Non-Profit, that still exists today, helping local Monmouth County charities and causes, including operating a Food Pantry and Family Center in Red Bank. Vin used those Monmouth County experiences to fight against corporations and insurance companies, who have spent decades making record profits off the backs of Monmouth County’s hard-working residents.
“Monmouth County families are my priority and I will continue to fight for them every single day.”
Never having held elected office before, Vin ran for the State Senate in 2017 against an 18 year incumbent politician. He was down by 36 points in the first poll that came out. Over the next several months, Vin knocked on more than 8,000 doors and made history in winning the Senate Seat. Vin built a record of bipartisanship, delivering tens of millions of dollars in funding for Monmouth County causes. He spearheaded many critical laws in New Jersey – including mandating that health insurance companies must cover New Jersey residents during mental health telemedicine services, securing major increases in special education funding for New Jersey schools, providing shared services between New Jersey government agencies to lower property taxes, sponsoring of the Anchor Property Tax Program and the Veteran’s Tax Credit, amongst other critical bills in New Jersey. Vin sponsored more than 150 bills signed into law – and had more bipartisan bills signed into law than any legislator in New Jersey during that time. As a result, he crossed over 5,000 Republican votes to win a historic 2021 re-election victory. In his 30’s, Vin is currently the youngest member of the State Senate. Senator Gopal crosses party lines whenever possible to improve the lives of working families in Monmouth County, small-business owners, students, and seniors, and is proud to be known as one of the most bipartisan members of the New Jersey Legislature. In his second term, Senator Gopal has successfully pushed for and passed legislation to help Monmouth County communities. Over $2 billion for schools, $40 million for women’s healthcare services, & $25 million for mental health services have been secured by Senator Gopal in just the past year. He has also had a number of tax relief and shared-services bills signed into law and successfully fought party leadership from instituting a shore rental tax.
Vin and his family now live in Long Branch.
Dr. Margie Donlon
“As a Doctor, my job is to help people. I’m running for the Assembly for the exact same reason.”
Dr. Margie Donlon graduated from Middlebury College in 1999 before receiving her Master’s degree in Public Health from Yale University in 2002 and her Medical degree from the University of Rochester in 2006. Margie is now a Board-Certified Doctor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. In this role, she works as a consultant physician and cares for patients with injuries and disabilities, always advocating for them and working tirelessly to improve their quality of life.
“All issues are local and I have solved them best when I hear the voices of everyone – Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.”
Margie is the current Deputy Mayor of Ocean Township, where she has twice been elected to serve on the council with her bi-partisan ticket. She is the Liaison to the Environmental Commission, Shade Tree Commission, and is a member of the Green Team and has worked in alliance with the Deal Lake Commission and Deal Lake Watershed Alliance on important local environmental issues. She was selected for Governor Murphy’s Healthcare Transition Advisory Committee in 2017 and served as a member of the LD 11 Economic Recovery Advisory Council in 2020 during the Coronavirus pandemic. An avid surfer, Margie spends her free time volunteering to teach adaptive surfing to kids with disabilities and serves on the board of the Surfers Medical Association, a position which has provided her the opportunity to present research at numerous medical conferences, including the American Geriatrics Society and Surfing Medical International.
Margie lives in Ocean Township with her husband, Ron, and daughters, Amalia and Vera.
Luanne Peterpaul, Esq.
“I believe in justice, equality, and fairness.”
A Graduate of Duquesne University and Seton Hall School of Law, Luanne Peterpaul is the managing partner of Peterpaul Law in Asbury Park, where she focuses on labor and employment law, and general litigation. A former County Prosecutor, Luanne has tried a number of successful cases against criminals including those who have committed auto thefts and homicide. Peterpaul has handled matters before many administrative agencies, including the state Department of Labor and the Division on Civil Rights. Peterpaul is a member of the American Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association, and the Monmouth County Bar Association. She was appointed to be a Municipal Judge in 2018 for the Cities of Long Branch and Asbury Park, before stepping down to run for Assembly.
“I’ve built my career around taking on tough fights and standing up against bullies.”
Luanne is the former Chair of the Board for Garden State Equality, where she was instrumental in creating the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights which passed with bipartisan support in the NJ State Legislature. She also served as co-counsel defending challenges to the NJ state law prohibiting conversion therapy and played a significant role in bringing marriage equality to the state. She is active in her community and serves on the Advisory Committee of the Unterberg Children’s Hospital of RWJ/Barnabas Hospital at the Monmouth Medical Center and on the board of the Thomas Peterpaul Foundation.
Luanne and her wife Robin were finally able to marry in May 2014 following a 31-year relationship. If elected, Peterpaul would become the first openly gay woman serving in the NJ Legislature.
