State Senator Vin Gopal was first elected in 2017 and reelected in 2023 with more than 60% of the vote, winning 18 of the district’s 19 municipalities in a decisive victory in one of New Jersey’s most politically competitive legislative districts. He serves as Senate Majority Whip, chairs the Senate Education Committee, and serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Gopal is the first South Asian American elected to the New Jersey Senate.

Senator Gopal has championed legislation focused on affordability, healthcare access, and support for New Jersey families. He was a sponsor of StayNJ, which provides property tax relief to eligible senior homeowners, and a lead sponsor of legislation expanding New Jersey’s veterans’ tax credit. He has helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars in mental health funding, supported the creation of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, expanded access to crisis intervention services, and advanced policies requiring insurance coverage for virtual therapy. He also helped enact legislation requiring health insurance companies to cover certain cancer medications.

A leading advocate for greater accountability in the healthcare industry, Senator Gopal has sponsored legislation addressing the practices of pharmacy benefit managers and large corporations. He has challenged policies supported by both Republican and Democratic leaders when he believes they place an unfair burden on New Jersey’s middle class.

Beyond his legislative work, Senator Gopal is a dedicated community volunteer and the founder and president of the Vin Gopal Civic Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Monmouth County charities and individuals in need. He has served on numerous nonprofit boards and spent years as a certified American Red Cross EMS instructor and volunteer EMT with Monmouth County first aid squads. He is also a former adjunct professor at Monmouth University and currently serves as co-chair of the university’s School of Civil Discourse.

An entrepreneur and small-business advocate, Senator Gopal has founded, built, and sold several small businesses. His first business was a retail store in Hazlet Township specializing in screen printing and vinyl lettering and signage. He is a longtime member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 400 in Wall Township and has served on the boards of several Monmouth County small-business advocacy organizations.

Born in Neptune Township and raised in Monmouth County, Senator Gopal holds a Master of Public Administration from Rutgers University and a bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University. He lives in Long Branch with his wife, daughter, and puppy.