Two State Assembly seats in deep South Jersey that Democrats flipped in 2023 are atop the GOP target list this year, but with the filing deadline just 75 days away, Republicans don’t have clarity on their candidates, and it’s possible there will be a primary.
In the 3rd legislative district, which includes Salem County and parts of Cumberland and Gloucester, Republicans should have a shot at unseating freshmen Heather Simmons (D-Glassboro) and Dave Bailey, Jr. (D-Woodstown). Jack Ciattarelli won the district by sixteen points in 2021; that helped the GOP oust two Democratic assemblymen and Senate President Steve Sweeney.
Right now, three Republican county organizations are looking at how they can claim one of two seats in the primary. But in a likely lineless primary, there’s no guarantee that voters will necessarily ratify the two candidates backed in an agreement between county chairmen. In other words, it’s possible that one county could wind up with both seats – if that’s the way the voters go…