The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission on Tuesday announced that, effective May 4, Amanda Haines was appointed executive director, to head the campaign finance watchdog after its longtime executive director, Jeff Brindle, retired in October 2023.
Haines is the sixth person and first woman to serve in the director’s seat since ELEC’s formation in 1973.
“With Executive Director Haines at the helm, New Jersey voters can be confident that ELEC will continue to fulfill its transparency mandate and will vigorously monitor and enforce campaign financing laws with an eye toward protecting and lifting up vulnerable and historically disenfranchised communities,” Thomas Prol, chair of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, said.
“Amanda Haines has dedicated 19 years to fulfilling the mission of the ELEC, and we are pleased to advance her to this pinnacle role at the agency. Her credentials are impeccable, and her service has seen the organization through several significant milestone events and numerous changes.”
Haines began her career at ELEC in 2005, serving as an assistant legal counsel for 12 years. In 2017, she became the deputy legal director and, since March 2023, has served the Commission as acting legal director. She has extensive experience prosecuting matters within the commission’s jurisdiction and advising it on legal issues.
Haines has represented the commission before the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, and the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Haines has an A.B. in sociology from Princeton University and received her J.D. cum laude from Temple University Beasley School of Law.
