Andrew Macurdy, a former prosecutor and counsel to two state attorneys general, will seek the Democratic nomination for State Assembly in the 21st district, becoming the first announced candidate to challenge Republican incumbents Nancy Muñoz (R-Summit) and Michele Matsikoudis (R-New Providence).
A 38-year-old Harvard law graduate, Macurdy clerked for two federal judges, served as an Assistant Hudson County Prosecutor and Assistant U.S. Attorney, and as counsel to two Democratic attorneys general before joining a private law firm nearly two years ago.
“I am tired of wondering whether New Jersey Transit will get me and my wife home in time to pick up our kids. Adequate childcare should not be so difficult to find or costly for families to afford,” said Macurdy. “Our current representatives in District 21 fail to take meaningful action on these issues and so many others—they vote against or abstain from voting at all on laws that ensure a woman’s right to choose or that prevent gun violence.”
The 21st district, which includes parts of Union, Somerset, Morris, and Middlesex counties, has been on the Democratic target list on and off since 2017. Still, Republicans have prevailed in the last four elections, sometimes by narrow margins.
But last week, Kamala Harris carried the 21st over Donald Trump by more than 17,000 votes and about fourteen percentage points – roughly three points less than Joe Biden in 2020, putting Muñoz and Matsikoudis in a potentially tough race next year.
Macurdy said that last week’s election “has only emphasized the need for getting involved in our democracy and further motivated me to step up as a candidate.”
“I am running for the Assembly because I want to help solve problems and protect the future for my three-year-old son and one-year-old daughter and for families across the 21st district and New Jersey,” Macurdy said.
Macurdy is new to politics. He was an early donor to Rep. Andy Kim’s bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate and hosted canvas launches from his home for Kim and congressional candidate Sue Altman during the primary and general elections.
His grandfather was a World War II fighter pilot who was shot down and survived for months behind enemy lines before being rescued. His father is a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and military pilot, and his wife is a federal prosecutor.
This will be the first time in Muñoz’s sixteen-year political career that she may not be on the ballot with Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), her running mate in six Assembly races. Bramnick, who moved to the Senate in 2021, is seeking the Republican nomination for governor next year.
Muñoz won by 1,554 votes in 2017, 2,054 in 2019, 4,350 in 2021, and 2,503 in 2023. In the ’21 governor’s race, Republican Jack Ciattarelli edged out Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in the 21st district by an incredibly narrow 49.8% to 49.5% margin.
Muñoz has built up a moderate legislative record of her own since arriving in the Assembly in 2009 under sad circumstances; her husband, Assemblyman Eric Muñoz (R-Summit), had unexpectedly died at 61.
In 2021, it briefly looked as though Muñoz was going to become Assembly Minority Leader, but she got outmaneuvered by Assemblyman John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown). When Bramnick departed the Assembly, his seat was filled by Matsikoudis, a former New Providence councilwoman who beat several competitors at a 2021 Union GOP convention. She has developed a profile similar to Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield), who represented the 21st in the New Jersey Legislature for nearly 21 years.
Macurdy criticized Muñoz for abstaining on a 2022 vote to codify the right to abortion into state law in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“Our current representation has avoided even casting a vote on codifying a woman’s right to choose in New Jersey or other protections for freedom of choice,” he said. They are out of touch with the communities they serve. That cannot stand.”
He also hammered Muñoz and Matsikoudis for failing to support legislation to reduce gun violence, saying the district needs “principled and pragmatic leaders in the Legislature who will lead on this issue and do real work to protect New Jersey families.”
While at the attorney general’s office, Macurdy supervised several public safety initiatives, including ARRIVE Together, which matched mental health workers with law enforcement officers to create a joint response to mental health crisis calls.
“I am running to continue that effort in the Assembly to make our government — and our tax dollars — work more efficiently and effectively for the people of our district and state,” Macurdy said.
Macurdy has pledged to make New Jersey more affordable, prioritize childcare to meet the community’s demands, and combat crimes like auto theft and burglary.