Nearly Every Elected GOP Official in District 25 Backs Incumbent Team, Endorsements in Progress
(Rockaway, NJ) – Senator Tony Bucco, Assemblyman Brian Bergen and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn announced today that they will be seeking reelection this November as commonsense taxpayer advocates in Trenton. The team is backed by the support of nearly all county Republican leaders, Mayors, and local party chairs across the 25th Legislative District.
Among the key issues the District 25 team will focus on are fighting the tax-and-spend culture in Trenton, demanding greater accountability and transparency over the Murphy Administration’s systemic failures, restoring the Governor’s consistent funding cuts to local schools, advocating relentlessly for New Jersey’s Main Street businesses, delivering unprecedented constituent services and promoting bipartisan leadership to rebuild after COVID.
Bucco and Dunn smashed records last Fall in a rare special election, winning more votes for state Senate (67,142) and Assembly (64,469) than any other candidates in modern New Jersey legislative history. As a result, Bucco, who is running in his third straight general election leads a formidable ticket that has proven it can raise money, win votes, and build a bipartisan brand in a suburban district.
“Last fall’s election demonstrated that we can build a winning coalition when we hold the Trenton Democrats accountable for their tax-spend-borrow agenda, balanced with our bipartisan results for residents when its needed most,” said Senator Bucco, who ran nearly 10,000 votes ahead of the top-of-the-ticket in November. “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve shown that good government works. We helped 2,000 struggling families resolve their unemployment issues, secured meals and PPE for long term care facilities, group homes and first responders in the scary early days of the pandemic, and continue to fight for our Main Street businesses. Additionally, it’s imperative we have strong leadership that calls out the Administration’s countless failures and lack of accountability – from systemic Motor Vehicle failures, the tragic losses of loved ones in our nursing homes, to unemployment and a broken vaccine distribution system. I’m looking forward to putting our record once again before voters this fall.”
Running for re-election for the first time, Assemblyman Brian Bergen has been a consistent leader in holding Governor Murphy accountable, including his use of executive power without legislative oversight.
“Two decades of Democrat control in Trenton have led to an affordability crisis in New Jersey, made worse by Governor Murphy’s unilateral and arbitrary decision making under the guise of the pandemic. One-person decision making has had disastrous implications for our businesses, for taxpayers, and even vaccine distribution prioritizing smokers over teachers,” added Bergen, a combat veteran and small busines owner who is serving his first-term in the Assembly. “As vaccinations increase, infections drop and we put the pandemic in the rearview mirror in the months ahead, we need to get back to basics thinking about how best to rebuild. That’s through business-friendly, taxpayer-friendly policies that help get New Jersey back on track, and this team is most capable of delivering on that agenda.”
Assemblywoman Aura Dunn filled a vacancy caused when Bucco moved up to the Senate in 2019, then won a special election in November to fill the remainder of the current term. Dunn is now seeking a full two-year term.
“My professional experience supporting children and families, both with Sesame Street and as a congressional policy analyst, have brought a much-needed perspective to Trenton during these challenging times. From mental health of our front-line workers, to student achievement and well-being, and funding relief efforts to defeat COVID, leaders have to be willing to work across the aisle to get things done,” added Dunn, who has had 21 measures she’s cosponsored signed into law over the last year. “The problem is, the affordability crisis is worsening, particularly now with high unemployment and a third of businesses permanently closing due to the pandemic. We need a new mindset in Trenton that ends the same playbook of raising taxes and instead – finally – begins to put taxpayers first.”
Morris County Sheriff Jim Gannon led the list of officials endorsing the incumbent team.
“Tony, Brian and Aura are the right team working to keep New Jersey affordable, our communities safe, and delivering the resources necessary to fight the virus,” added Gannon. “We are lucky to have them fighting on our behalf, and I’m proud to stand with them in the months ahead.”
###
Senator Anthony Bucco is a 40-year volunteer fireman, cancer survivor, champion for those with disabilities, and taxpayer advocate for us in Trenton. As a founder of DaytopNJ, Anthony has also been a leader in Trenton fighting the opioid epidemic. He and his wife Amy have 6 children, 5 grandchildren, and live in Boonton Township. To learn more, visit www.AnthonyBucco.com .
Assemblyman Brian Bergen is a West Point graduate, Iraq War combat veteran, and a small business owner. Before being elected to the Assembly, Brian served as a Denville Councilman and earned his MBA from Rutgers Business School. He and his wife Kristin have two children and live in Denville. To learn more, visit www.votebergen.com
Assemblywoman Aura Dunn comes from a family of police officers and is committed to public service. As a congressional policy analyst, she built programs to help veterans and military families, advocated for children while working for Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers, and still volunteers her time helping victims of domestic violence. Aura and her family live in Mendham. To learn more visit www.auradunnforassembly.com/