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NJ District 16 Democratic slate announced

Andrew Zwicker will seek another term in the NJ Assembly.

Democratic state assemblyman Andrew Zwicker will seek re-election this November with two newcomers on his slate for the New Jersey Assembly and Senate.

Laurie Poppe, a divorce lawyer and social worker who lives in Hillsborough, will be joining him on the ticket as the challenger for the New Jersey Senate seat.

Zwicker’s running mate for the assembly race is Roy Freiman,  a former executive at Prudential Financial who also lives in Hillsborough.

The Republican slate is led by Senator Kip Bateman. Former Assemblywoman Donna Simon, a resident of Readington Township who was ousted by Zwicker in the 2015 election by less than 100 votes, is running for the Assembly again. Somerset County Freeholder Mark Caliguire, a Montgomery resident and former mayor of the township,  is the other candidate for the Assembly.

Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli is seeking the Republican nomination for governor this year.

The 16th Legislative District includes Princeton, South Brunswick, Delaware Township, Flemington Borough, Raritan Township, Readington Township, Stockton Borough, Branchburg Township, Hillsborough Township, Manville Borough, Millstone Borough, Montgomery Township, Rocky Hill Borough and Somerville Borough.

Zwicker, a scientist at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, stressed his commitment to evidence-based decision-making in representing residents.

“Two years ago I promised to be an independent voice in Trenton—to make decisions based on evidence, not ideology,” he said. “I stayed true to that promise, putting the interests of the 16th Legislative District and New Jersey ahead of politics. I am working with legislators from both sides of the aisle to expand our innovation economy, make college more affordable, and hold the line of taxes. That is why I bucked my party’s leadership and big special interests to vote against the gas tax. And it is why I go door to door to listen to the concerns of our residents. As a scientist, I know the importance of facts and evidence in making the right decisions. It is why I ran last time and it is even more important now. “

The other candidates stressing their commitment to addressing the challenges facing New Jersey.

“As a businessman, I know the most important factor in succeeding is to provide solutions to customers’ issues. I also know that collaboration is the key to finding the best solutions. Yelling at people who disagree with you doesn’t work,” Freiman said. “New Jersey faces many challenges, from our broken pension system to an economy that is still struggling to produce the good jobs and the careers our state needs to grow. I will use the principles of collaboration to get to the right solutions in the legislature. Working with Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker, we will team up to grow our economy and put the interests of Central Jersey above partisan politics.”

Poppe said Trenton needs leaders who are willing to stand up for what is right.

“I work with New Jersey families every day, so I know the challenges that hard-working people in our state face, and my experience in collaborative law has taught me how to balance competing interests while moving toward common goals,” she said. “That’s why I’m proud to run alongside Andrew, who’s always been an independent voice, to implement common-sense solutions that benefit everyone.”