Rachel Peace

Peace says she was born and raised at the Jersey Shore; she graduated from Brick Township Memorial High School, where she describes her theatrical roots as beginning.[2] She earned a B.A. in Public Relations, with minors in Drama and Sociology, from Hofstra University in 2014.[2] She describes early jobs as a certified recreational soccer referee from age 12, minimum-wage work at Wendy's and pizza parlors, and babysitting and daycare work; during college she worked on-campus security and event jobs and held internships, and she graduated with a job lined up in public relations.[2] Earlier in her career she worked on NYC Broadway Week, according to her campaign survey.[2]

In 2022 Peace founded Hyperfocused Communications, which offers media relations and content marketing to founders, nonprofits and startups; WHYY describes the business as working primarily with nonprofits.[2][3] She says she has contributed to efforts to curb pollution and protect open spaces, and describes herself as a public servant rather than a politician.[2] WHYY reports that she lives in Wall Township and grew up in Brick Township.[3] She says she and her five-year-old son are recipients of NJ FamilyCare, the state's low-cost health coverage program.[2] During the campaign, she emphasized healthcare access and affordability, childcare and campaign-finance reform.[2][3] She received 41% of the vote to Christopher Smith's 59%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[1]