Cruz-Perez: ‘Painful’ to have lost so many Dems in South Jersey delegation

With the loss of Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) and State Sen. Dawn Addiego (D-Evesham) last month, the State Senate will convene next session with the smallest number of South Jersey Democrats in ages. But State Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-Barrington), one of the few South Jersey Democrats that will remain, said that she is hopeful the Senate will still keep South Jersey interests in mind.

“I think we’re going to continue with the agenda that we have,” she said. “I will continue to do what I always have done: be a fighter for not only my district but the entire state of New Jersey, especially South Jersey.”

Cruz-Perez added that the loss of so many Democratic senators from South Jersey – including Sweeney, among the most powerful legislative leaders in New Jersey history – was distressing.

“We’ve definitely lost great people in South Jersey, and as one of the South Jersey delegates, it’s painful to lose so many people, and powerful people,” she said.

Because the Senate will be up for election once again in 2023, South Jersey Democrats will only have to wait two years before they can try to rebuild their delegation. There have already been whispers of potential rematches or new Democratic challengers in the 2nd, 3rd, and 8th districts – and with redistricting underway, one or more of those districts may become friendlier for the party.

Democrats lost the 1st district seats they’d held since 2007 in a 2019 special election after Michael Testa, Jr. (R-Vineland) ousted interim State Sen. Bob Andrzejczak (D-Middle).  Republicans held the Atlantic County Senate seat they’d flipped in 2017 following the death of State Sen. James Whelan (D-Atlantic City).