Burzichelli wins Dem nod in 3rd legislative district

Former Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro) and his running mates, Gloucester County Commissioner Heather Simmons (D-Glassboro) and nonprofit leader Dave Bailey, have won the Democratic nomination in the 3rd legislative district against a slate of anti-organization progressive candidates, the New Jersey Globe projects.

As of 11:44 p.m., Burzichelli leads teacher Mario De Santis 74%-26%, while Simmons and Bailey together have 73% of the vote against Tanzie Youngblood and Robert Fitzpatrick, also current or former teachers.

Burzichelli previously represented the 3rd district from 2002 until the 2021 election in which he – alongside his longtime ticket leader, Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) – was shockingly defeated by a team of unheralded Republicans in the 2021 elections.

This year, South Jersey Democrats are aiming to flip the seat back, making the 3rd district one of several key legislative battlegrounds in the region. Burzichelli will face State Sen. Ed Durr (R-Logan), who won his own primary tonight against his former running mate, Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer (R-Woolwich).

De Santis and Youngblood have both run in Democratic primaries before: De Santis in the 1st congressional district in 2022, Youngblood in the 2nd congressional district in 2018. This year, the two combined forces on the “Good Democrats” slate, and recruited a set of county commissioner candidates as well as two borough council candidates in Glassboro.

In the county commissioner primary, Commissioner Jim Jefferson (D-Woodbury), Washington Township Mayor Joann Gattinelli, and Pitman Councilman Matthew Weng currently have a combined 79% of the vote against Good Democrats Denise Brush, Everet Rummel, and Ted Howell.

And in Glassboro, the party-backed slate of Dan Brown and Deanna Davis Garlic easily beat Jennifer Courtney and Isha Strasser; one incumbent councilman, Joe D’Alessandro, also ran off-the-line and was defeated.