Monmouth County Clerk Election 2025: Christine Giordano Hanlon

MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — Incumbent Christine Giordano Hanlon is running for re-election as Monmouth County Clerk in the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

In November, Hanlon will run as the Republican candidate for Monmouth County Clerk and face off against Democratic candidate Alison DeNoia and Independent candidate Joshua Leinsdorf.

Ahead of the General Election, Patch posed several questions to Hanlon about her campaign platform, experience, and what sets her apart from other candidates running. Her replies are below.

Editor’s Note: The following article contains information about one of the candidates running to be Monmouth County Clerk in 2025. Responses are written as received by Patch.

Patch has contacted all other candidates in this race with the same questions and will post replies as they are received.

Are you running to be Monmouth County Clerk? Contact Sara Winick at sara.winick@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Christine Giordano Hanlon

Town of Residence: Ocean
Age: 57
Education: Fordham University, JD; Barnard College - Columbia University, Bachelor’s Degree
Occupation: Monmouth County Clerk since 2015. Prior to assuming office, practiced law for 20+ years.

What drove you to seek public office?
It has been a great honor to serve as your Monmouth County Clerk! I have always had a passion for public service and have held roles in public service throughout my life, both in a professional and volunteer capacity.

While there were many reasons for my decision to initially seek public office, I always point to the terrorist attacks on American soil on September 11, 2001, as the main impetus. That horrific event led me to become involved in the political system as a young mother concerned about what the future held for my family.

In the years that followed, I became increasingly involved in elections and politics in Monmouth County as a way to impact change in my community. This ultimately led me to run for County Clerk in 2015, when my accomplished predecessor, M. Claire French, retired from the position.

After winning the election in 2015, I was fortunate to be elected again in 2020 by the voters of Monmouth County to serve another term, during which time we faced unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Monmouth County Clerk, I’ve worked hard to consistently expand services, introduce new programs, improve technology and enhance accessibility. Most importantly, I have made it my mission to provide friendly, helpful and respectful services to the public across the five divisions of the County Clerk’s Office.

I am seeking re-election to the position of Monmouth County Clerk to continue my mission to deliver top-tier services and implement new programs that improve the lives of our residents.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?
First and foremost, my experience as your Monmouth County Clerk makes me most qualified to continue in the position for another term. In addition, my educational and legal background, record of service, leadership experience and proven accomplishments set me apart from the other candidates whose public statements have demonstrated a lack of knowledge about what the position entails.

The Monmouth County Clerk is a very unique role with specific functions outlined by New Jersey’s Constitution and laws. The position involves the official recording of property records such as deeds, mortgages and other documents. The County Clerk also provides passport services, swears in all notaries public, and is the Clerk of Elections. The Clerk of Elections handles certain duties in the election process, including preparing the ballots, issuing mail-in ballots, verifying certain candidate petitions and certifying election results. The Clerk of Election is one of three election offices, so we work in conjunction with the Board of Elections and the Superintendent of Elections, which are separate, independent offices. The County Clerk does not have jurisdiction or oversight of these other election offices but instead works alongside them to effectuate the election process.

In Monmouth, the County Clerk also has additional roles and responsibilities that have expanded over time. For instance, I oversee the Monmouth County Archives, where millions of government and historic records are housed and preserved. I also oversee the Office of Records Management, which digitizes permanent government records and makes them easily available to the public. In addition, I was appointed by the Board of County Commissioners as Co-Chair of the county’s planning initiative for America’s upcoming 250th birthday celebration in 2026.

Since this wide range of functions often requires interpretation and analysis of New Jersey law, my legal background has not only equipped me to handle issues that can arise during daily transactions, but it provides me with the ability to analyze New Jersey’s ever-changing election laws.

In addition, I served as a Commissioner on the Monmouth County Board of Elections for five years, during which Superstorm Sandy hit New Jersey. This experience provided me with intensive training on election rules and emergency management, helping me as Clerk to develop emergency plans for our elections that are regarded as a benchmark in New Jersey. I have spearheaded and attended a multitude of training programs over the years in election best practices, crisis management and emergency preparedness. And, to promote election integrity and preparedness on the local level, I have facilitated at least 20 workshops for the clerks of our municipalities to deliver vital training needed.

My background as a college history major has prepared me well for overseeing our County Archives. I have embraced this role with enthusiasm and excitement, providing many opportunities for the public to see the fascinating historical collections we preserve as well as educating the public about our rich Monmouth County history. One such example is the County Clerk’s annual Archives and History Day that takes place in October.

What are past accomplishments or experiences that make you qualified for this position?
Throughout my tenure as County Clerk, I’ve worked hard to create new programs and make top-tier government services more accessible than ever before. Here are just some highlights accomplished during my time as County Clerk:

• To improve transparent access to voting and elections resources, I launched two websites and a free mobile app for residents.
• To help give vote-by-mail voters peace of mind, I implemented the first and only enhanced ballot-tracking system in the state that provides status notifications.
• To improve outreach to Monmouth’s 53 municipalities, I created Monmouth’s first Mobile County Connection initiative in coordination with Sheriff Shaun Golden and Surrogate Maureen Raisch to bring our services directly to our communities.
• To demonstrate our gratitude to our many Monmouth County veterans, I created a veterans’ discount program called “Honoring our Heroes” that has grown to 250+ participating Monmouth County businesses.
• To combat the rise of property fraud, I launched a free property fraud alert program for Monmouth County property owners.
• To modernize our county’s record-keeping system, I spearheaded multiple digitization initiatives, allowing for many property and government records to be accessible to the public online.
• To engage our youth in Monmouth’s history and civics, I initiated annual contests, including the High School Elections Voting and Video Contest and the Archives and History Day High School Photography Contest.
• To keep voters informed across our County, I implemented comprehensive education campaigns to ensure all voters have the resources they need about deadlines, changes and voting options.
• To ensure our young people learn how they can become active and engaged voters, I created “Your Vote Matters,” a program I provide to our area high schools.

I’m proud to say that not only have we delivered more services to Monmouth County residents, but we have accomplished this while upholding high standards of fiscal responsibility for our hard-working taxpayers, with my office’s revenue exceeding operating costs year after year. In addition, during my tenure, I have conducted internal workflow audits to streamline and expedite services.

Finally, my experience as an attorney, a prosecutor and as a Commissioner on the Monmouth County Board of Elections provides a strong foundation for ensuring that both our election process and all other functions of the County Clerk’s Office are carried out legally, with integrity and transparency.

If elected, what will be your top priorities in your new role?
If re-elected to serve as County Clerk, I will continue building upon the proven record I’ve established as Monmouth County Clerk for improving services, launching new programs and expanding accessibility for our residents across our many divisions.

These include property recording, passport services, archives, records management, part of the elections process and other services. Keeping voters informed is always top priority, so I will continue to further expand upon our existing voter resources which include an elections website, free mobile app, videos and print publications. Such tools help Monmouth County voters feel comfortable and secure when casting their ballots.

As in the past, I will continue to prioritize election integrity as Clerk of Elections, working hand-in-hand with the Superintendent of Elections and Board of Elections, each in our distinct roles in the election process.

Among key priorities facing the County Clerk is combating the rise of property fraud, which I’ve addressed by implementing a free Property Fraud Alert program along with a proactive approach to working with law enforcement. I remain committed to fiscal responsibility, identifying cost-saving opportunities to deliver revenue that exceeds operating costs by millions.

I will continue to expand accessibility through mobile government initiatives to bring services directly to our communities, senior centers, veterans and youth. As Co-Chair of the MonmouthNJ 250 Committee, I will also continue working toward a fitting tribute to America’s 250th birthday here in Monmouth County with great patriotism and love for our country. I look forward to seeing these important events and programs currently being planned come to life for our residents as we get closer to America’s Semiquincentennial celebration in 2026!

I look forward to continuing my mission as Monmouth County Clerk to deliver superior services for our 640,000+ residents.

Name one thing about Monmouth County that always makes you smile.
I am a wife and mother of four, and I’m grateful that my children have grown up in beautiful Monmouth County. This has inspired my mission to help make Monmouth County the best County in New Jersey to raise our families. Monmouth County is truly a special place, from our breathtaking shoreline to the farms of western Monmouth.

What makes me smile is the promise Monmouth County holds for the next generation to thrive here for years to come!