Monmouth County Clerk Election 2025: Joshua Leinsdorf

MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ — Candidate Joshua Leinsdorf is running for election to be the Monmouth County Clerk in the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

In November, Leinsdorf will run as an Independent to be Monmouth County Clerk and face off against Democratic candidate Alison DeNoia and Republican incumbent Christine Giordano Hanlon.

Ahead of the General Election, Patch posed several questions to Leinsdorf about his campaign platform, experience, and what sets him apart from other candidates running. His replies are below.

Editor’s Note: The following article contains information about one of the candidates running for 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 for 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.

Joshua Leinsdorf

Age: 80
Town of Residence: Atlantic Highlands
Education: B.A. Columbia College
Occupation: Retired. Former educator, New York Department of Ports and Terminals employee, Suburban Transit, metal trading company, paralegal, and publishing.

What drove you to seek public office?
A lifelong passion for fair elections. When I ran for Mayor six years ago, the Clerk allowed another Independent candidate onto the ballot after the filing deadline to confuse the voters and dilute the Independent vote.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?
I am not asking for or spending any money. I have been an Independent my entire life. My wife and I were presidential electors for an Independent candidate.

What are past accomplishments or experiences that make you qualified for this position?
I was a poll worker for 25 years. I was elected to three terms on the Princeton Regional School Board Finance Committee, two as Chairman. I have run numerous Independent races for state and local office since 1970, so I know all the tricks the parties use to favor themselves.

I know how to get candidates onto the ballot, and how they get removed. I know how to reapportion districts. I ran for Freeholder to get rid of the asbestos ceiling in the Eastern Branch of the Monmouth County Library.

My Independent campaigns helped bring the ferry to Atlantic Highlands and Highlands. My wife and I ran for Assembly specifically to raise the standards for high school graduation in New Jersey, and I fought for 31 years to create the Bayshore Trail in Atlantic Highlands.

1. To run fair elections.
2. Put a video surveillance camera in the Clerk's office to help employees resist pressure from their boss and reassure people about the integrity of the elections.
3. Institute a transparent double random drawing procedure for determining ballot position.
4. Fight for the restoration of Special Elections to fill vacancies in the legislature instead of the current appointment by political party committeepersons.

Name one thing about Monmouth County that always makes you smile.
The Henry Hudson and Bayshore Trails.