Morris County Republican Anthony Somma announced Monday that he will seek an Assembly seat in New Jersey’s 25th legislative district, launching the 2027 cycle of competitive legislative races.
Democrat Marisa Sweeney last year flipped one Assembly seat in the district, which is comprised of 18 Morris County municipalities and one Passaic County township. Somma, who dubbed himself an unapologetic conservative, said it’s time for Republicans who will fight strongly against “radical” politicians like Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
Somma, a Morris County Housing Authority commissioner and a vice chair of the Randolph Republican Municipal Committee, unsuccessfully sought a seat on the Morris County Board of Commissioners in 2023.
“Enough with career politicians and enough with Republicans who settle for table scraps,” Somma said in the announcement. “Itʼs gotten us nowhere. We wonʼt fix this state by quitting the fight. Itʼs time to hit back. Itʼs time to make sure the state we grew up in will still be a place our own kids can call home.”
Somma said his campaign will focus on cutting taxes and costs for families, supporting law enforcement, and targeting health insurance companies that he accuses of price gouging.
“I have spent my career fighting for families like ours against multi-billion dollar insurance companies and the special interests that rig the system,” he said. “I have spent years on the ground fighting for conservative Republican candidates up and down the ticket throughout our state. I am ready to take that fight to Trenton for the people of the 25th District.”
Sweeney shook New Jersey with her narrow victory over incumbent Assemblyman Christian Barranco (R-Jefferson) last year. Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-Mendham) was re-elected, but the Sweeney victory emblemized the dominant performance for Democrats last fall. Barranco is running for the mayorship of Jefferson this year.
Somma attacked Sweeney in his announcement, arguing that “one-party control” in Trenton must be halted.
“The one-party control that has come to define Trenton became more lopsided and more extreme in 2025 when the 25th District elected a Sherrill sycophant to vote lockstep with the Newark-Camden Democrat machine,” Somma said. “Our state deserves better than one-party rule and our district needs an Assemblyman who will stand up and fight back—not fall in line. I will be that Assemblyman.”
Sherrill won the 25th legislative district by more than 5 percentage points in 2025. President Donald Trump won the district by less than half a percentage point in 2024.
This article was updated to clarify Barranco’s plan to run for mayor of Jefferson this year.