an x icon - click to close the quick summary modal

quick summary

Heather Simmons

Assemblywoman Heather Simmons brings over a decade of local government experience to the New Jersey General Assembly. She served four terms on the Gloucester County Board of Commissioners, where she focused on economic development, infrastructure, workforce programs, and public services. As Deputy Director of the Board, she launched a $15 million small business loan fund and led post-pandemic recovery efforts. Simmons holds degrees in international relations and public relations, and currently serves as Vice President of Workforce Innovation and Partnerships at Rowan College of South Jersey. In the Assembly, she has sponsored a wide array of legislation related to healthcare affordability, education, labor conditions, tax relief, and environmental protections.Capizola has been contacted multiple times with opportunities to share updated information but has yet to provide a substantive response. Voters seeking detailed and current insights into his positions may find it difficult to evaluate his candidacy without greater transparency.

Click the red x at the top of this box and then scroll down down for more in-depth information and sources.

an x icon - click to close the quick summary modal

Rating Explanation

Heather Simmons

While Assemblywoman Simmons has an extensive legislative record and a strong professional background, the lack of a centralized campaign website or clearly laid-out public platform makes it difficult for everyday voters to grasp her goals, values, and positions without committing to deep research. While she is occasionally visible on social media and has contributed a significant volume of sponsored legislation, she has not responded to outreach through official contact information, nor has she made efforts to centralize voter education about her work.

Given the volume of her legislative activity, her transparency rating may deserve a revision upward from a default “Low” to something closer to “Mixed” or “Moderate” — recognizing the public availability of her record but noting the lack of direct communication, future platform clarity, and summarization of prior work.

Note: While this is technically still the primary phase, both parties are running unopposed slates, meaning all four current candidates are expected to advance to the general election. This creates a valuable opportunity for candidates to begin clearly communicating their platforms early, giving voters more time to learn and engage. We encourage all candidates to take advantage of this head start by providing accessible, detailed information about their agendas and priorities.

For these reasons, Simmons receives a below average to average rating for transparency and accessibility.

Click the red x at the top of this box and then scroll down down for more in-depth information and sources.



Suggested Use of Candidate Pages & Project Disclaimer

Note: There are a few ways to use this page. It mixes objective source material with light analysis and first-hand reporting so voters can choose their depth.

How to get the most out of this candidate page
  1. Start with the Quick Summary. Click the Quick Summary button underneath the websites section. It gives you the fast take: what we know from sources + brief analysis from a “data collector / local reporter” point of view.
  2. Scan the objective sources. If you want more data, jump into the source material we’ve collected:
    • Official campaign website (if available)
    • Social media pages and posts (if available)
    • Interviews (video/audio) and transcripts (if available)
  3. Check the agenda & positions. Look for the candidate’s stated agenda and issue stances. We try to group them plainly so you can compare across candidates quickly.
  4. Read the Transparency/Accessibility rating. For a deeper look at how transparent the candidate has been (web presence, interviews, follow-ups, meet n greets) and how communicative they've been in response to outreach, see the rating and its short explanation. This helps you understand what’s easy to find and who is easy to contact.
  5. Use the page as a multi-layered hub. If you 'just want the facts', stick to the source documents. If you want opinions about transparency, accessibility, and communication, check the transparency meter. If you want coverage somewhere in between, like interviews that range from introductory to moderately pressing, watch the interviews. Choose your own adventure.

Where we add context or opinion, it’s to help busy voters make sense of gaps in local information. Not everyone has time to be a volunteer politico.

Heather Simmons

Running for:
State Assembly - Legislative District 3
Incumbent
Challenger

Websites

This election is on June 10th, 2025

democrt donkey mascot democrt donkey mascot democrt donkey mascot democrt donkey mascot democrt donkey mascot democrt donkey mascot democrt donkey mascot democrt donkey mascot democrt donkey mascot

Transparency/Accessibility Rating: Low to Below Average

Agenda

As of now, Assemblywoman Heather Simmons does not maintain a campaign website or formal public platform outlining her agenda for the 2025 election cycle. While her legislative record provides some insight into her interests — including healthcare affordability, small business support, and workforce development — these topics are pulled from past bills and do not constitute an official campaign agenda.

In other words, while it's possible to speculate on her priorities based on the bills she has sponsored, voters deserve more than guesswork. It's up to candidates to clearly and proactively communicate their plans — not up to voters to connect the dots. We encourage Assemblywoman Simmons to provide a formal platform so that voters can make informed decisions without needing to piece it together from legislative history.

Background and Experience

Heather Simmons is a longtime public servant from Gloucester County with a background in both education and government. She currently serves in the New Jersey General Assembly, having taken office in 2024, following four terms as a Gloucester County Commissioner — including service as Deputy Director. She was the longest-serving woman in that role.

Professionally, Simmons has held leadership roles at Rowan College of South Jersey and Rowan University, focusing on workforce innovation, strategic planning, and institutional partnerships. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and politics and a master’s degree in public relations.

Her public service resume includes involvement in economic development, workforce training, public infrastructure, and education. She has also served on regional planning and civic boards across South Jersey. In her short time in the Assembly, she has already sponsored a wide range of bills touching on healthcare, property tax relief, environmental regulation, and labor protections — indicating a broad policy interest.

That said, we still encourage the candidate to clearly communicate her agenda for this election cycle so that voters don’t need to rely on speculation or research to understand where she stands.