Founding Members

Rob Kovic is a New Jersey attorney, writer, policy analyst, and conservative reform advocate focused on fiscal accountability, government transparency, and grassroots political organizing. He is the founder of the New Jersey Property Taxpayers Coalition, where he works to expose wasteful spending, challenge entrenched political interests, and coordinate sustained pressure on Trenton for real property-tax reform. Kovic is a frequent commentator on New Jersey politics and public policy and is known for building issue-driven coalitions that translate taxpayer frustration into organized action. He also serves as legal counsel for Liberty Counsel and the Alliance Defending Freedom.

Mario Kranjac is a New Jersey attorney, conservative policy advocate, and former mayor of Englewood Cliffs. He is known statewide for his outspoken positions on government accountability, constitutional principles, parental rights, and fiscal responsibility. As mayor, he earned a reputation for challenging entrenched political interests and pushing back against top-down mandates from Trenton. Kranjac is a frequent commentator on New Jersey politics and public policy and remains actively involved in grassroots reform efforts focused on restoring transparency, local control, and responsible governance.

Steve Lonegan is a longtime New Jersey conservative leader, taxpayer advocate, and former mayor of Bogota. He is the former Director of the New Jersey chapter of Americans for Prosperity and has spent decades at the forefront of New Jersey’s fights over taxes, government spending, and regulatory overreach. As a co-founder of the New Jersey Property Taxpayers Coalition, Lonegan brings deep experience in grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and statewide reform campaigns, with a focus on forcing real property-tax relief and restoring fiscal discipline in Trenton.

Christian E. Barranco is a former member of the New Jersey General Assembly for District 25, former municipal councilman, union electrician, project manager, and longtime advocate for fiscal responsibility and government accountability.

Barranco served four years in the New Jersey General Assembly, representing the 26th Legislative District and later the 25th Legislative District. During his legislative service, he served on committees including Transportation and Telecommunications & Utilities, giving him firsthand experience with many of the infrastructure, energy, transportation, and affordability issues facing New Jersey residents.

An electrician by trade, Barranco has been a member of IBEW Local 102 since 2003 and has worked as a project manager on complex industrial and energy infrastructure projects throughout New Jersey. His private-sector and labor experience has helped shape his approach to public policy, particularly on energy reliability, economic growth, infrastructure, government spending, and the cost of living.

Before serving in the Legislature, Barranco served on the Pompton Lakes Borough Council. He has also been active in civic and political organizations focused on encouraging greater public participation in government.

Born and raised in Paterson, Barranco is a first-generation American. He and his wife, Pauline, have three children and reside in Jefferson Township.

Barranco brings to the New Jersey Property Taxpayers Coalition's Advisory Committee a combination of state legislative experience, municipal government service, organized-labor experience, and practical knowledge of New Jersey's energy and infrastructure systems.

Michael P. McGuire is a New Jersey attorney, Marine Corps veteran, retired NYPD officer, Naval reservist, and taxpayer advocate from Freehold Township. He is the Republican nominee for New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District and brings to the New Jersey Property Taxpayers Coalition a combination of military service, law-enforcement experience, and firsthand knowledge of how taxes and government policy hit working families.

A family-law attorney at Weinberger Divorce & Family Law Group, McGuire previously founded his own firm and began his legal career as a judicial law clerk in the New Jersey Superior Court. He holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA in accounting as well as a J.D. from Touro Law Center, and has prepared thousands of tax returns for local families and small businesses. That background gives him a practical understanding of how high property taxes, energy costs, housing prices, and government waste squeeze the middle class.

McGuire enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, later served with the New York City Police Department — including as a 9/11 first responder — and continues to serve in the Navy Reserve. He lives in Monmouth County with his family and has long argued that New Jersey’s affordability crisis is a failure of fiscal policy, not of the people who work, pay taxes, and play by the rules. He joins the Coalition’s board to help convert taxpayer frustration into organized pressure for real property-tax relief, spending restraint, and accountable government in Trenton and Washington.

Shirley Maia-Cusick is an international attorney, businesswoman, immigration advocate, and former Republican candidate for the United States Congress in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District. Originally from Brazil, Shirley built her life and career in the United States. For more than three decades, she has worked in immigration and advisory services, gaining firsthand experience with many challenges with families, small businesses, and communities striving to achieve the American Dream. Her commitment to public service led her to run for Congress in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District in 2024, bringing her experience as an international attorney, businesswoman, and community advocate to the political arena. Beyond politics, Shirley is the founder of the Mama Bear Foundation and remains deeply involved in community leadership and advocacy, particularly on issues affecting American families. Today, Shirley brings together her international legal background, business leadership, and commitment to public service to advocate for stronger communities, greater opportunity, and civic engagement. Her story is one of perseverance, service, and faith in the American Dream.

Frank T. Pallotta is a strategic mortgage and housing-finance executive with more than 25 years’ experience in residential housing, financial markets, mortgage finance, and public policy. He advises banks, mortgage companies, investment managers, Government Sponsored Entitles (GSE’s) and public-sector stakeholders on consumer lending programs, regulatory change, risk and compliance, public-private partnerships, and strategies that improve housing accessibility, affordability, and modernization.

He is Founder and Principal of Steel Curtain Capital Group (2010–present), a strategic advisory and marketing firm. Earlier he co-founded Loan Value Group (2008–2013) and created the Responsible Homeowner Reward Program®, named one of TIME Magazine’s “50 Best Inventions of 2010.” The program, tied to payment performance on VA-guaranteed and other loans, helped more than 10,000 veterans avoid foreclosure. Before that he held senior roles at Morgan Stanley (Managing Director and Co-head of the Correspondent Mortgage Conduit, 2003–2008), Credit Suisse/DLJ (1995–2003), and Goldman Sachs (Vice President, Fixed Income, 1990–1995), where he led a 150-person national mortgage operations and sale team located in Florida, and New York.

Pallotta is also Principal Advisor at Mortgage Policy Advisors (April 2024–present) and Managing Director and Senior Advisor to the CEO at Lyons McClosky (January 2026–present), focusing on regulatory advisory, servicing operations, risk mitigation, and business development. He was the Republican nominee for New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District in 2020 and 2022, winning two competitive primaries. He hosted the weekly radio show “Frankly Speaking” on AM970 The Answer (2022) and has appeared as a panelist on Bloomberg Television and at industry forums.

He holds a B.S. in Finance from Saint John’s University and has published papers on Mortgage risk, Government relief programs, and related topics in National Mortgage News. Core strengths include bipartisan coalition-building, GSE and regulator relations, securitization, strategic communications, and building high-performance teams.

Jersey Conservative is a dedicated advocate for movement conservatism in New Jersey, committed to upholding civil liberties, promoting limited government, and advancing economic freedom. Established to confront perceived internal issues within the New Jersey Republican State Committee, including anti-constitutional policies and ineffective bipartisan collaborations, Jersey Conservative serves as a vital resource for party "suicide prevention" by soliciting reports of problematic activities and welcoming contributions from varied perspectives. Core principles encompass the foundational elements of movement conservatism—constitutional governance, economic liberty, individual freedom, and traditional values—alongside investigative explorations of local concerns such as educational threats, event notifications, and initiatives for action.