Beth Sawyer ends bid for Assembly in 3rd district

Former Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer (R-Woolwich) has decided not to seek her old Assembly seat in the 3rd district, leaving Gloucester County Commissioner Chris Konawel and Harrison Township Deputy Mayor Lawrence Moore unopposed in the Republican primary.

Sawyer’s running mate, former Municipal Court Judge Jason Witcher, has also opted not to run.

“After much consideration, I’ve decided not to run for office this year. Instead I will focus on getting good Republicans elected in November. I had to chuckle when I heard Ed Durr dropped out because he ‘couldn’t raise money.’ We all know the real reason. He couldn’t get the 2,500 signatures to make the ballot,” said Sawyer.  “Typical Ed, trashing the very people who helped him rise. Jack Ciattarelli is the only reason he had his 15 minutes of fame. Instead of being known as ‘Ed the Trucker’ he’ll go down in history as ‘Ed the Ducker.’”

That sets up a general election matchup against two freshman Democratic lawmakers, Heather Simmons (D-Glassboro) and Dave Bailey, Jr. (D-Woodstown), in a competitive legislative district.

Two other Republicans, Cumberland County Commissioner Arthur Marchand and Salem County Commissioner Ed Ramsay, had also been in the race but decided not to continue their candidacies.

Sawyer won her Assembly seat in 2021, but challenged then-state Sen. Ed Durr (R-Logan) 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.  Moore is a former aide to Sawyer.

Simmons and Bailey narrowly won election to the Assembly in 2023, when they defeated their Republican opponents, including incumbent Bethanne McCarthy Patrick (R-Mannington), by a little more than 1,000 votes.

The 3rd district went for  Ciattarelli against Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021 by 16 points, and for Donald Trump by 7.5 points in 2024.