More GOP candidates join race for LD-3 Assembly seat

The floodgates have opened in the 3rd legislative district as a flurry of Republicans have announced their intentions to challenge a pair of Democratic incumbents.

Jason Witcher, an attorney and former judge, said Tuesday night on Facebook that he intends to seek the GOP nomination with former Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer. Also joining the fray is Lawrence Moore, the deputy mayor of Harrison and a fire commissioner.

Republicans hope to bring a strong challenge to Assemblyman Dave Bailey (D-Woodstown) and Assemblywoman Heather Simmons (D-Glassboro) this fall. The pair narrowly won election to the lower chamber in 2023, when they defeated their Republican opponents, including incumbent Bethanne McCarthy Patrick, by a little more than 1,000 votes.

Salem County Commissioner Ed Ramsay announced his candidacy for the seat Tuesday morning. 

Witcher, currently an attorney at Helmer, Conley & Kasselman, has worked as a municipal judge, Rutgers Law School professor, and jail chaplain, according to his announcement.

“I have always been the underdog, so my heart identifies with those who feel overlooked, and whose voices often seem unheard, therefore I aim to be a presence in their stead and amplify their voices as a servant leader,” he wrote.

The New Jersey Globe reported last month that Sawyer was looking to make a return to the Assembly. Sawyer won her Assembly seat in 2021, but challenged then-state Sen. Ed Durr in the primary for the district’s state senate seat in 2023. Durr defeated Sawyer’s primary challenge but lost to state Sen. John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro) in the general election.

Sawyer hasn’t officially announced her campaign.

Moore, a former aide to Sawyer, said his platform focuses on public safety, cutting wasteful spending and taxes, and supporting nuclear energy.

“Too many politicians are interested in climbing ladders to look out for themselves,” Moore said in a release. “I’m more interested in climbing ladders to put out fires. And right now, Trenton is ablaze.”

Cumberland County Commissioner Arthur Marchand appears to have dropped out.

Gloucester County residents account for most of the district’s voters. The entirety of Salem County and parts of Cumberland County are included in the district.