Bethanne McCarthy Patrick, who served one term as an assemblywoman from 2022 to 2024, has died. She was 55.
She was found in her home this morning. The cause of death is still undetermined.
“Bethanne pulled no punches. She did it with a warmth and humor that showed a depth of care for her constituents and a deep respect for her colleagues,” said Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio. “We were of course disappointed that she was only able to serve one term, but she served with a dedication to wanting the best for New Jersey.”
In 2021, McCarthy Patrick and her running mate, Beth Sawyer, ousted Democrats John Burzichelli and Adam Taliaferro Another running mate, Ed Durr, unseated Senate President Steve Sweeney. Republican Jack Ciattarelli won the 3rd district by sixteen points against Gov. Phil Murphy.
Sawyer finished first with 33,878 votes, with McCarthy Patrick receiving 33,735. Burzichelli, a ten-term incumbent, received 31,024 votes, and Taliaferro won 30,537 votes.
The results sent massive shockwaves across the state, and to the candidates themselves. Despite being located in a conservative-leaning corner of South Jersey, the 3rd district had shown absolutely no indication of wanting to ditch its Democratic legislators in previous cycles; just four years earlier, Sweeney had crushed a well-funded challenger 59%-41%.
Sawyer chose to challenge Durr in the 2023 Senate primary, but both candidates backed McCarthy Patrick for re-election.
The general election between Durr and Burzichelli became one of the most closely-watched in the state, and one of the most expensive.
Democrats recruited Gloucester County Commissioner Heather Simmons and Salem County nonprofit leader Dave Bailey Jr. to run for Assembly against McCarthy Patrick and her running mate, Hopewell Township Committeeman Thomas Tedesco. Simmons (30,861) and Bailey (30,737) defeated McCarthy Patrick (29,522) and Tedesco (29,480).
McCarthy Patrick served on the Mannington Board of Education before winning election to the legislature. In 2020, she challenged Salem County Surrogate Nicki Burke and lost by 801 votes, 51%-49%.
As an assemblywoman, she served on the Environment and Solid Waste, Health and Housing committees.
Earlier this year, McCarthy Patrick sought the Republican nomination for Salem County Surrogate, but lost the GOP convention to County Commissioner Mickey Ostrum.
She was an emergency medical technician for Inspira Health and spent 27 years as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. She also owned a small café in Carneys Point.