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New Jersey General Assembly District 2
New Jersey General Assembly District 2 is represented by Don Guardian (R) and Claire Swift (R).
As of the 2020 Census, New Jersey state representatives represented an average of 116,181 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 110,094 residents.
About the office
Members of the New Jersey General Assembly serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. New Jersey legislators assume office at noon of the second Tuesday in January following the election.[1]
Qualifications
In order to qualify as a candidate for the New Jersey General Assembly, a candidate must:[2]
- Be a citizen of the United States
- Be 21 years of age or older by the day of swearing in
- Be a registered voter
- Reside in the state for a minimum of two years prior to the general election
- Reside in the legislative district for one year prior to the general election
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[3] | |
---|---|
Salary | Per diem |
$49,000/year | No per diem is paid. |
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the New Jersey State Legislature, the vacancy will be filled by an interim appointment by the county leadership of the political party that holds the seat. The office will be on the ballot in the next general election, unless the vacancy occurs within 51 days of the election. If that is the case, the appointment would stand until the following general election.[4][5]
See sources: New Jersey Const., Art. IV, Sec. IV(1)
District map
Redistricting
2020 redistricting cycle
On February 18, 2022, the New Jersey Legislative Reapportionment Commission voted to approve a new set of state legislative maps.[6] The commission voted 9-2 to approve the maps. Thomas Kean Jr. (R) and Cosmo A. Cirillo (D) were the two dissenting votes.[7] The New Jersey Monitor's Nikita Biryukov wrote that the vote was "an unprecedented compromise for a commission that has historically relied on a court-appointed tiebreaker to end partisan gridlock."[6] These maps took effect for New Jersey's 2023 legislative elections.
How does redistricting in New Jersey work? In New Jersey, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by two distinct politician commissions. The congressional redistricting commission comprises the following 13 members:[8]
- The majority and minority leaders of each chamber of the New Jersey State Legislature appoint two commissioners a piece (for a total of eight members).
- The chairs of the state's two major political parties each appoint two members to the commission (for a total of four members). Commissioners appointed by the political parties cannot be members of Congress or congressional employees.
- The first 12 commissioners appoint the last member. This member cannot have held public office in the state within the previous five-year period. If the first 12 commissioners cannot agree on an appointment, they must submit two names to the New Jersey Supreme Court. The court must then appoint the final commissioner.
If the congressional redistricting commission fails to reach an agreement about a redistricting plan, it must submit two plans to the state Supreme Court, which must in turn select from those two plans a final map.[8]
The state legislative redistricting commission comprises 10 members. The chairs of the state's two major political parties each appoint five members to the commission. In the event that this commission is unable to reach an agreement about a redistricting plan, the state Supreme Court may appoint a tie-breaking member.[8]
State law requires that state legislative districts meet the following criteria:[8]
- Districts must be contiguous.
- Districts "must be as nearly compact as possible."
- Municipalities "must be kept intact, except where otherwise required by law."
There are no such requirements in place for congressional districts.[8]
New Jersey General Assembly District 2
until January 2, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
New Jersey General Assembly District 2
starting January 3, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Elections
2025
See also: New Jersey General Assembly elections, 2025
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 (2 seats)
Incumbent Don Guardian, incumbent Claire Swift, Joanne Famularo, and Maureen Rowan are running in the general election for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
Don Guardian (R) | ||
![]() | Claire Swift (R) | |
Joanne Famularo (D) | ||
Maureen Rowan (D) |
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 (2 seats)
Maureen Rowan and Joanne Famularo defeated Bruce Weekes and Lisa Bonanno in the Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 on June 10, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Maureen Rowan | 28.8 | 8,989 | |
✔ | Joanne Famularo | 24.2 | 7,552 | |
Bruce Weekes | 24.0 | 7,497 | ||
Lisa Bonanno | 22.7 | 7,092 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 61 |
Total votes: 31,191 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Alphonso Harrell (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 (2 seats)
Incumbent Don Guardian and incumbent Claire Swift advanced from the Republican primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 on June 10, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Don Guardian | 52.5 | 11,643 | |
✔ | ![]() | Claire Swift | 47.5 | 10,519 |
Total votes: 22,162 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
2023
See also: New Jersey General Assembly elections, 2023
General election
General election for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 (2 seats)
Incumbent Don Guardian and incumbent Claire Swift defeated Lisa Bender and Alphonso Harrell in the general election for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Don Guardian (R) | 28.8 | 26,675 | |
✔ | ![]() | Claire Swift (R) | 27.5 | 25,460 |
Lisa Bender (D) | 22.2 | 20,547 | ||
Alphonso Harrell (D) | 21.4 | 19,835 |
Total votes: 92,517 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 (2 seats)
Caren Fitzpatrick and Alphonso Harrell advanced from the Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 on June 6, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Caren Fitzpatrick | 50.6 | 7,270 |
✔ | Alphonso Harrell | 49.4 | 7,086 |
Total votes: 14,356 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 (2 seats)
Incumbent Don Guardian and incumbent Claire Swift advanced from the Republican primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 on June 6, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Don Guardian | 50.3 | 6,051 | |
✔ | ![]() | Claire Swift | 49.7 | 5,980 |
Total votes: 12,031 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
2021
See also: New Jersey General Assembly elections, 2021
General election
General election for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 (2 seats)
Claire Swift and Don Guardian defeated incumbent John Armato and Caren Fitzpatrick in the general election for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Claire Swift (R) | 26.8 | 31,818 |
✔ | Don Guardian (R) | 26.7 | 31,640 | |
![]() | John Armato (D) | 23.7 | 28,094 | |
![]() | Caren Fitzpatrick (D) | 22.9 | 27,127 |
Total votes: 118,679 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 (2 seats)
Incumbent John Armato and Caren Fitzpatrick advanced from the Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | John Armato | 50.4 | 9,122 |
✔ | ![]() | Caren Fitzpatrick | 49.6 | 8,990 |
Total votes: 18,112 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Vincent Mazzeo (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 (2 seats)
Don Guardian and Claire Swift advanced from the Republican primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Don Guardian | 50.7 | 9,784 | |
✔ | ![]() | Claire Swift | 49.3 | 9,516 |
Total votes: 19,300 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jesse Kurtz (R)
2019
Elections for the New Jersey General Assembly took place in 2019. The primary was on June 4, 2019, and the general election was on November 5. The filing deadline for candidates was April 1, 2019.
General election
General election for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 (2 seats)
Incumbent Vincent Mazzeo and incumbent John Armato defeated John Risley Jr. and Philip Guenther in the general election for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Vincent Mazzeo (D) | 26.7 | 23,211 |
✔ | ![]() | John Armato (D) | 25.2 | 21,892 |
John Risley Jr. (R) | 24.1 | 20,906 | ||
Philip Guenther (R) | 24.1 | 20,905 |
Total votes: 86,914 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 (2 seats)
Incumbent Vincent Mazzeo and incumbent John Armato advanced from the Democratic primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 on June 4, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Vincent Mazzeo | 51.3 | 6,319 |
✔ | ![]() | John Armato | 48.7 | 5,994 |
Total votes: 12,313 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 (2 seats)
Philip Guenther and John Risley Jr. advanced from the Republican primary for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 on June 4, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Philip Guenther | 50.0 | 4,549 | |
✔ | John Risley Jr. | 50.0 | 4,540 |
Total votes: 9,089 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
2017
General election
Elections for the New Jersey General Assembly took place in 2017. All 80 seats were up for election. State assembly members are elected to two-year terms. The general election took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on June 6, 2017. The filing deadline for the primary election was April 3, 2017.[9] Legislative districts in the New Jersey General Assembly are multi-member districts, with two representatives in each district. In Democratic and Republican primary elections, the top two candidates move forward to the general election, and the top two candidates in the general election are declared the winners.[10] The following candidates ran in the New Jersey General Assembly District 2 general election.[11][12]
New Jersey General Assembly, District 2 General Election, 2017 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Democratic | ![]() |
28.56% | 27,601 | |
Democratic | ![]() |
26.58% | 25,683 | |
Republican | Vince Sera | 21.54% | 20,814 | |
Republican | Brenda Taube | 21.33% | 20,611 | |
Independent, Honest, Reliable | Heather Gordon | 1.25% | 1,208 | |
Green | Mico Lucide | 0.74% | 718 | |
Total Votes | 96,635 | |||
Source: New Jersey Department of State |
Democratic primary election
The following candidates ran in the New Jersey General Assembly District 2 Democratic primary election.[13][14]
New Jersey General Assembly, District 2 Democratic Primary, 2017 | ||
---|---|---|
Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
![]() |
37.46% | 7,197 |
![]() |
29.13% | 5,596 |
Ernest Coursey | 20.05% | 3,852 |
Jim Carney | 6.65% | 1,278 |
Theresa Watts | 4.81% | 925 |
Rizwan Malik | 1.90% | 365 |
Total Votes | 19,213 | |
Source: New Jersey Department of State |
Republican primary election
Vince Sera and Brenda Taube were unopposed in the New Jersey General Assembly District 2 Republican primary election.[15][14]
New Jersey General Assembly, District 2 Republican Primary, 2017 | ||
---|---|---|
Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
![]() |
50.70% | 5,551 |
![]() |
49.30% | 5,398 |
Total Votes | 10,949 | |
Source: New Jersey Department of State |
2015
Elections for the New Jersey General Assembly took place in 2015. A primary election was held on June 2, 2015. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 30, 2015.[16] Since the general assembly uses multi-member districts, the top two candidates from each party in the primaries advanced to the general election. Incumbent Vincent Mazzeo and Colin Bell were bracketed together and were unopposed in the Democratic primary. Incumbent Chris Brown and Will Pauls were bracketed together and were unopposed in the Republican primary. Mazzeo and Brown defeated Bell and Pauls in the general election.[17][18][19][20]
2013
Elections for the office of New Jersey General Assembly consisted of a primary election on June 4, 2013, and a general election on November 5, 2013. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 1, 2013. Incumbent Chris Brown (R) and Vincent Mazzeo (D) defeated incumbent John Amodeo (R), Nick Russo (D) and Gary Stein (BPM) in the general election. Brown was bracketed with Amodeo, and were unopposed in the Republican primary. Mazzeo was bracketed with Russo, and were unopposed in the Democratic primary.[21][22][23][24]
2011
Elections for the office of New Jersey General Assembly consisted of a primary election on June 7, 2011, and a general election on November 8, 2011. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 11, 2011. Incumbent John Amodeo (R) and Chris Brown (R) defeated Alisa Cooper (D) and Damon Tyner (D) in the general election. Amodeo and Brown were bracketed together in the Republican primary and ran unopposed. Cooper and Tyner were bracketed together in the Democratic primary and defeated Gary Stein to advance to the general election.[25][26][27]
New Jersey General Assembly District 2 Democratic Primary, 2011 | ||
---|---|---|
Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
![]() |
46.3% | 3,361 |
![]() |
46.5% | 3,370 |
Gary Stein | 7.2% | 524 |
Total Votes | 7,255 |
Campaign contributions
From 2001 to 2023, candidates for New Jersey General Assembly District 2 raised a total of $4,585,199. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $109,171 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money
Campaign contributions, New Jersey General Assembly District 2 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
2023 | $231,774 | 5 | $46,355 |
2021 | $612,886 | 4 | $153,222 |
2011 | $973,388 | 5 | $194,678 |
2009 | $383,427 | 4 | $95,857 |
2007 | $555,899 | 5 | $111,180 |
2005 | $996,411 | 6 | $166,069 |
2003 | $229,925 | 8 | $28,741 |
2001 | $601,489 | 5 | $120,298 |
Total | $4,585,199 | 42 | $109,171 |
See also
- New Jersey State Legislature
- New Jersey State Senate
- New Jersey General Assembly
- New Jersey state legislative districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ New Jersey Constitution, "Article IV, Section II (2.)," accessed February 10, 2021
- ↑ NJ.gov, "PETITION FILING INSTRUCTION SHEET 2025 PRIMARY ELECTION NEW JERSEY GENERAL ASSEMBLY," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "Our Legislature," accessed February 10, 2021
- ↑ New Jersey Legislature, "New Jersey Constitution," accessed February 10, 2021 (Article IV, Section 4, (1))
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 New Jersey Monitor, "Democrats, GOP agree on new legislative map for N.J.," February 18, 2022
- ↑ Insider NJ, "Redistricting Commission Finalizes Legislative Map by 9-2 Vote," February 18, 2022
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 All About Redistricting, "New Jersey," accessed May 6, 2015
- ↑ New Jersey Secretary of State, "2017 Primary Election Timeline," accessed March 21, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official List, Candidates for General Assembly for Primary Election, June 6, 2017," accessed April 13, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Candidates for General Assembly for General Election 11/07/2017 Election," accessed September 14, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2017 official general election results," accessed November 30, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official Candidate List," April 6, 2017
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 New Jersey Division of Elections, “2017 official primary election results for general assembly,” accessed July 13, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Division of Elections, "Official Candidate List," April 6, 2017
- ↑ New Jersey Department of Elections, "2015 Primary Election Timeline," accessed February 2, 2015
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Official candidate list for June 2 primary," accessed May 22, 2015
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Official primary election results for General Assembly," accessed August 10, 2015
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Official list for candidate for General Assembly," accessed August 10, 2015
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Official general election results for General Assembly," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ New Jersey Department of Elections, "Official Primary Election Results," accessed July 26, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Official general election candidates," September 9, 2013
- ↑ Associated Press, "New Jersey - Summary Vote Results," November 6, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 Official General Election results," accessed December 6, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, “2011 Official General Assembly Primary Candidate List,” accessed December 5, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, “2011 Official General election results,” accessed December 5, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, “2011 Official Primary election results,” accessed December 5, 2013