Dawn Fantasia

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Dawn Fantasia

| image =

| caption =

| state_assembly = New Jersey

| district = 24th

| term_start = January 9, 2024

| term_end =

| predecessor = {{unbulleted list|Parker Space|Hal Wirths}}

| alongside = Mike Inganamort

| successor =

| birth_date =

| birth_name =

| education = {{unbulleted list|Davis and Elkins College (BA)|Rutgers University Center for Effective School Practices|Capella University (MS)}}

| party = Republican

| residence = Franklin, New Jersey

| website = [https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/474/assemblywoman-fantasia Legislative webpage]

}}

Dawn Fantasia is an American Republican Party politician serving as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly for the 24th legislative district, having taken office on January 9, 2024. She also works as the principal of Bergen Arts and Science Charter School in Garfield, New Jersey.

Biography

A resident of Sussex County for 30 years, Fantasia was raised in Ogdensburg and graduated from Wallkill Valley Regional High School before moving to Franklin Borough in 2011 where she currently resides. She graduated from Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia with a bachelor's degree in education. She would also later take classes at the Rutgers University Center for Effective School Practices and then earn a master's degree in educational leadership from Capella University.{{cite web |url=https://www.sussex.nj.us/cn/towncouncil/?CID=28 |title=Board of County Commissioners: Dawn Fantasia |website=Sussex County, New Jersey |access-date=January 10, 2024}} She has three children and is a single mother.

Elective office

Fantasia started serving in public office in Franklin Borough in 2014 as a member of the planning board, zoning board and economic development committee. She then served on the Franklin Borough council for three years, including one year as council president. She was elected to the Sussex County Board of County Commissioners in 2018.{{cite web |url=https://www.parkerdawnandmike.com/about-dawn.html |title=About Dawn |website=Parker, Dawn and Mike |access-date=January 10, 2024}}

Fantasia ran for the New Jersey General Assembly in 2023 after incumbents Parker Space and Hal Wirths announced their retirements. Space would later change his mind on retirement from the legislature and run for the district's State Senate seat after incumbent Steve Oroho, also the Republican Minority Leader in the State Senate, announced late that he would retire. In the primary election in June 2023, Fantasia and Chester Borough Mayor Mike Inganamort ran together{{cite web |author=David Wildstein |url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/fantasia-inganamort-running-together-for-open-24th-district-assembly-seats/ |title=Fantasia, Inganamort running together for open 24th district Assembly seats |website=New Jersey Globe |publisher=Mayfair Media |date=January 18, 2023 |access-date=January 10, 2024}} with the endorsements of Oroho, Space and Wirths{{cite web |author=David Wildstein |url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/oroho-and-wirths-endorse-space-for-senate-fantasia-and-inganamort-for-assembly/ |title=Oroho and Wirths endorse Space for Senate, Fantasia and Inganamort for Assembly |website=New Jersey Globe |publisher=Mayfair Media |date=March 9, 2024 |access-date=January 10, 2024}} and defeated Jason Sarnoski, a Warren County Commissioner, and Josh Aikens, the President of the Lafayette Township School District Board of Education (who ran together) as well as 2022 candidate for New Jersey's 11th congressional district Rob Kovic.{{cite web |first=Joey |last=Fox |url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/fantasia-inganamort-win-close-assembly-primary-in-ld24/ |title=Fantasia, Inganamort win close Assembly primary in LD24 |website=New Jersey Globe |publisher=Mayfair Media |date=June 6, 2023 |access-date=January 10, 2024}}

Fantasia and Inganamort easily defeated Democrat Alicia Sharma and independent Veronica Fernandez in the general election on November 7 in the solidly Republican district.[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2023/2023-official-general-results-general-assembly.pdf Official List Candidates for General Assembly for General Election November 7, 2023], New Jersey Department of State, December 6, 2023. Accessed December 23, 2023. She became the first woman to represent the 24th legislative district since Assemblywoman Gail Phoebus left office in January 2018 and was also the only new Republican woman elected to the Assembly in 2023 after seven (Claire Swift, Bethanne McCarthy-Patrick, Beth Sawyer, Kimberly Eulner, Marilyn Piperno, Vicky Flynn and Michele Matsikoudis) were elected in the previous Assembly election in 2021.

= Committee assignments =

Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/474/assemblywoman-fantasia Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia (R)], New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 11, 2024.

Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture
Education
Aging and Human Services

= District 24 =

Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly.Article IV, New Jersey State Constitution (1947). The representatives from the 24th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster?district=24 Legislative Roster for District 24], New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 11, 2024.

Senator Parker Space (R)
Assemblyman Dawn Fantasia (R)
Assemblyman Mike Inganamort (R)

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change

|title = 24th Legislative District General Election, 2023{{Cite web |url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2023/2023-official-general-results-general-assembly.pdf |title=Candidates for General Assembly - For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election |publisher=New Jersey Department of State |access-date=December 6, 2023}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Dawn Fantasia

| votes = 31,994

| percentage = 36.0

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Mike Inganamort

| votes = 31,174

| percentage = 35.0