Brian Bergen, a conservative bomb-thrower who has gotten under the skin of Democratic legislative leaders during his four years in Trenton, will be the new Assembly Minority Whip.
Minority Leader John DiMaio is expected to announce the selection of Bergen, a West Point graduate and decorated veteran who flew combat helicopters in Iraq, as a member of the Assembly GOP leadership team.
The defeat of Minority Conference Leader Ned Thomson (R-Wall) and the retirement of Minority Budget Officer Hal Wirths (R-Wantage) created some movement in the GOP caucus, which is now down to 28 members after losing six seats in the November 2023 midterm elections.
Bergen, a 44-year-old former Denville councilman who won an open Assembly seat in 2019, will replace Antwan McClellan (R-Ocean City); McClellan moved up to Deputy Minority Leader after Nancy Munoz decided to give up the post to become ranking Republican on the Assembly Budget Committee.
After the Assembly returned to in-person voting sessions in 2021 after voting remotely during the pandemic, Bergen was among the leaders of a group of conservative lawmakers who challenged Speaker Craig Coughlin’s edict that anyone entering the Assembly chambers show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test.
He frequently votes no on legislation that many of his GOP colleagues supported, although that is likely to change – at least a little bit – once he joins the leadership team.
After Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) gave up the minority leader post to take a State Senate seat two years ago, Bergen briefly challenged DiMaio, Thomson, and Munoz for the post.
Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains) will continue as appropriations officer, Gerry Scharfenberger (R-Middletown) becomes the policy chair, and Brian Rumpf (R-Egg Harbor Township) is now the parliamentarian. Rob Clifton (R-Matawan) is the new assistant minority leader, and Vicky Flynn is the new deputy minority conference leader. Michele Matsikoudis (R-New Providence) and Christopher Barranco (R-Jefferson) as assistant minority conference leaders, Erik Peterson (R-Franklin) as deputy minority whip, and Assemblyman Don Guardian and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn as assistant minority whips.
This story was updated at 4:41 with additional Assembly Republican leadership posts.