Democratic state Sen. Richard Codey, a former governor and 50-year lawmaker, and Republican state Sen. Ed Durr, a truck driver who took office with a stunning upset two years ago, were big winners in two of the most closely watched races in New Jersey’s legislative primary elections Tuesday.
Codey easily ousted fellow Democratic Sen. Nia Gill, according to a projection by the Associated Press, in a rare, winner-take-all battle that pitted two of the state’s longest-serving lawmakers against each other for the Senate seat in a newly redrawn North Jersey district.
Durr, two years after making national headlines by unseating then-Senate President Stephen Sweeney, had little trouble fending off a bitter challenge from his former running mate, state Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer, to secure the Republican nod for a second term in their battleground part of South Jersey, according to the AP.
Those were among a handful of contested primaries setting up a big general election this fall in which all 120 seats in the state Legislature are up for grabs.
Meanwhile, in another heated South Jersey Republican race, Christopher Del Borrello trounced Nick DeSilvio for the party’s nom for an open Senate seat in the district next door to Durr’s, according to the AP. It’s a district that could be key to Republicans’ uphill effort to reclaim control of the Legislature after two decades as the minority party.
FULL LEGISLATIVE PRIMARY RESULTS
Tuesday’s primaries finalized the Democratic and Republican nominees to run in the Nov. 7 elections, with the entire Legislature — the governing body that crafts the state’s laws and passes the state budget — topping the ticket.
Up for grabs will be one Senate and two Assembly seats in each of the the state’s 40 legislative districts, which have been slightly rejiggered because of redistricting.
This is the first year of a new legislative map, redrawn by a redistricting commission under a process that happens every 10 years to reflect U.S. Census changes. That contributed to 27 incumbent lawmakers either choosing not to see re-election or seeking to move up from the Assembly to the Senate.
It’s also a tense election cycle because Democrats are trying to keep control of the Legislature two years after Republicans gained seven seats. It might be a long shot, but Republicans think they have their best chance in years to assume control of at least one chamber — something they haven’t had since 2001 — especially because of the new map.
But for all those changes and stakes, only 19 primaries were contested Tuesday. And in the end, there were no true surprises in what was expected to be a low-turnout election.
Here’s more on what happened in the biggest primaries:
27th DISTRICT
Democratic Senate primary: Sen. Richard Codey defeated Sen. Nia Gill
Codey and Gill are both Essex County Democrats and former running mates who have 80 years of experience in Trenton between them. But Gill’s hometown of Montclair was moved into Codey’s district, and they ended up fighting over one Senate seat in this primary.
The 76-year-old Codey, also a former Senate president and the longest-serving lawmaker in New Jersey history, had the support of local Democratic leaders and thus preferential ballot placement, known as “the county line.“
He is now poised to enter his 51st year in the Legislature because he is running unopposed in the general election in the heavily Democratic district, which includes suburbs of Newark.
The 75-year-old Gill, who has served 30 years in the Legislature, tying her for the state’s longest-serving female and longest-serving Black legislator currently in office, will now have to leave Trenton in January. That‘s when the new legislative class is sworn in.
Gill said Tuesday night she would not comment until all of the election results are in. As of 11:15 p.m., there was 92% of the votes counted, with Codey leading 7,299 votes to Gill’s 5,333.
Late Tuesday night, state Democratic Party Chairman LeRoy Jones issued a statement celebrating the success of the party’s chosen candidates.
“I would like to congratulate Sen. Codey on a strong victory, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him to deliver progress for the people of the 27th District, Essex County, and all of New Jersey,” Jones said.
Codey’s Assembly running mates, incumbent John McKeon and newcomer Alixon Collazos-Gill, also won their Democratic primaries and will run unopposed in November. Jones called those victories “impressive.”
“Finally, I want to thank Senator Nia Gill for her service to the people of our state and the dedication she has shown throughout her career,” Jones said.
Gill had defeated Jones for the state Senate two decades ago without party support.
The Gill and Sawyer losses Tuesday will put a dent into female representation in Trenton. Several other women lawmakers are retiring this cycle, just two years after the Legislature welcomed a record number of female members. Barring upsets, that number is expected to drop after November’s elections.
3rd DISTRICT
Republican Senate primary: Sen. Ed Durr defeated Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer
In 2021, Durr shocked Sweeney, one of the state’s top Democrats, despite having no elected experience and relatively little fundraising. But Sawyer, a fellow Gloucester County conservative who was elected to the Assembly alongside him and has since been his district mate, vied to deny Durr a second term.
Though both are among Trenton’s most right-leaning lawmakers, Durr called Sawyer “a shill for the liberal establishment” who sapped GOP resources with her primary challenge. Sawyer called Durr “a coward” who has made controversial comments about abortion and Muslims and warned he will have a tough time winning a general election against a South Jersey Democratic machine that has long been a power despite setbacks in recent years.
Durr’s opponent in November will be John Burzichelli, the former assemblyman and longtime Sweeney ally whom Sawyer ousted two years ago. Burzichelli beat Glassboro teacher Mario De Santis for the Democratic nod Tuesday as the party aims to take back the district, which became slightly more Republican-friendly after redistricting.
Durr’s Assembly running mates (incumbent Bethanne McCarthy Patrick and Hopewell Township Committeeman Thomas Tedesco) and Burzichelli’s (Gloucester County Commissioner Heather Simmons and nonprofit CEO Dave Bailey), also won their primaries.
“Tonight’s win was well-earned by our team,” Durr told NJ Advance Media late Tuesday night. “Now we need to come together. I would call for everyone to get behind our team and let us move on to victory in November.”
Sawyer, who will have to leave her Assembly seat in January, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
4th DISTRICT
Republican Senate primary: Christopher Del Borrello defeated Nick Desilvio
Republicans see this South Jersey district as a possible pickup in November as veteran Democratic incumbent Sen. Fred Madden is retiring and redistricting made the area more red.
Del Borrello, a former Washington Township councilman, soundly defeated DeSilvio, a Gloucester County commissioner, in a nasty race for the GOP nod that split local party leaders. Del Borrello received the endorsement of leaders in Atlantic and Camden counties, while DeSilvio got the backing of Gloucester County leaders.
In one dramatic instance, DeSilvio called Del Borrello a “shady business owner with a history of renting out strippers and backed by Trenton political insiders.” Del Borrello said he has nothing to do with the business, Tasty Temptations, which closed years ago. Meanwhile, like Durr, DeSilvio faced scrutiny for controversial comments he made about abortion and Muslims.
Del Borrello will now face Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nod, in the fall.
24th DISTRICT
Republican Assembly primary: Dawn Fantasia and Mike Inganamort vs. Jason Sarnoski and Josh Aikens vs. Robert Kovic
Voting tallies for this fierce race were not complete as of 12:45 a.m.
Fantasia, a Sussex County commissioner, and Inganamort, Chester Township’s mayor, were running against Sarnoski, a Warren County commissioner, and Aikens, the Lafayette school board president, for the Republican nods for the Assembly seats in this conservative-leaning northwestern district.
Robert Kovic, a Sparta attorney, was running as a lone fifth candidate.
26th DISTRICT
Republican Senate primary: Sen. Joe Pennachio defeated Tom Mastrangelo
Republican Assembly primary: Assemblyman Brian Bergen and Assemblyman Jay Webber defeated BettyLou DeCroce and Robert Peluso
Pennachio, the incumbent senator in this conservative-leaving North Jersey district, staved off an intense challenge from Mastrangelo, a Morris County commissioner.
His running mates, incumbents Bergen and Webber, also beat Mastrangelo’s team, which included DeCroce, a former Assembly member who was bounced from office after losing the support of local Republican leaders two years ago and was seeking a comeback.
Pennachio’s ticket had the endorsement of county party leaders. They are now the heavy favorites in November.
18th DISTRICT
Democratic Senate primary: Sen. Patrick Diegnan defeated Christopher Binetti
In one of two contested Democratic Senate primaries in Middlesex County, 20-year legislative veteran Diegnan easily dispatched Binetti, a former adjunct professor at Middlesex County College who was running against what he said is a “closed” county and state party system.
19th DISTRICT
Democratic Senate primary: Sen. Joe Vitale defeated Michelle Burwell
In the other Middlesex contest, 25-year legislative incumbent Vitale easily beat Burwell, a Woodbridge realtor who said she wanted to represent the “voice and lived experiences of all residents.”
ALL N.J. STATE, COUNTY, AND LOCAL PRIMARY RESULTS
OTHER NOTABLE LEGISLATIVE PRIMARIES:
There were several battleground districts with uncontested primaries that will now see closely watched general elections:
- In Monmouth County’s 11th district, Democratic state Sen. Vin Gopal will face Republican Stephen Dnistrian, a nonprofit executive.
- In South Jersey’s 8th District, former Burlington County Freeholder Latham Tiver, a Republican, will face Evesham Councilwoman Heather Cooper, a Democrat, for the Senate seat of retiring Republican incumbent Jean Stanfield.
- In Central Jersey’s 16th District, Democratic state Sen. Andrew Zwicker will face Republican Michael Pappas, a former U.S. congressman, in a rematch of a race Zwicker won two years ago.
Click here to see the rest of the legislative primary results.
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Brent Johnson may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him at @johnsb01.
Susan K. Livio may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio.