Meet Brendan Gill
Brendan W. Gill has spent his career standing up for New Jersey families — taking on tough fights and delivering results that make our communities stronger, safer, and fairer.
Rooted in New Jersey Values
Born and raised in Montclair, Brendan learned early what service means. His father, Dan Gill, taught middle school in Montclair for over 50 years, shaping generations of students and instilling in Brendan the values of hard work, fairness, and responsibility to others.
When Brendan’s dad was a boy, he went to a party with his best friend, Archie. His dad was welcomed in, but Archie, who was Black, was told there weren’t enough chairs. That moment changed his father’s life. From that day forward, he kept an extra chair in his classroom for 53 years, a seat for anyone who needed it.
That simple act of inclusion shaped everything Brendan believes: everyone deserves a place at the table.
Today, Brendan and his wife, Alixon, are raising their two children, Gabriel and Kristen, in that same community, and carrying forward the lessons that define who they are.
Delivering Results for New Jersey
As Essex County Commissioner At-Large, Brendan represents all 22 towns in Essex County and has built a reputation as a hands-on leader who gets things done. Brendan’s clear understanding of the different levels of government – and his ability to build strong relationships across them – has made him incredibly successful in delivering results for the communities he serves. He’s fought to protect public health, strengthen public safety, and improve the quality of life for every resident. Brendan led the effort to ban smoking in county parks, modernize election security, and improve pedestrian safety across Essex County.
As Chair of the County’s Anti-Gun Violence Committee, Brendan took on powerful interests to make Essex County a national leader in responsible gun policies — passing one of the state’s toughest gun vendor accountability laws to ensure taxpayer dollars never fund companies that enable gun violence.
Protecting Our Environment and Quality of Life
Brendan was also an early and leading champion of the Essex Hudson Greenway, New Jersey’s largest-ever conservation project, transforming an abandoned rail line from Montclair to Jersey City into a new state park with walking and biking trails for thousands of families.
A Fighter for New Jersey Families
Brendan knows firsthand that the New Jersey middle class is being squeezed. Families are working harder than ever but struggling to afford the lives they’ve built here, from property taxes and childcare to healthcare and groceries.
He’s running for Congress to take on the affordability crisis head-on, to make New Jersey a place where families like his can thrive again. And he’s ready to stop Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans who are trying to tear down our democracy, rig the economy for the wealthy, and divide our communities.
Experienced Leadership That Delivers
He was the architect of Governor Phil Murphy’s historic 2017 campaign and has served as a senior advisor to U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Frank Lautenberg, and Congressmen Bill Pascrell and Steve Rothman, experience that gives him the know-how to fight and win for New Jersey in Washington.
Committed to Community
A graduate of Seton Hall University, Brendan also serves as Chair of the Montclair Democratic Party, and is active in many organizations in the district and state-wide.
Ready to Fight for New Jersey
Brendan Gill is running for Congress in New Jersey’s 11th District to fight for working families, protect our democracy, and make sure everyone has a seat at the table.
Because while Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are grabbing every chair for themselves, Brendan was raised better than that, and he’s ready to stand up, fight back, and deliver for New Jersey.