Matchup set in LD38 after primaries on both sides: Tully, Swain vs. Kaiser, Wilkes

Assemblywoman Lisa Swain (D-Fair Lawn) and Assemblyman Chris Tully (D-Bergenfield) are set to face a GOP slate of Paramus Councilman Robert Kaiser and Glen Rock businessman Barry Wilkes, the New Jersey Globe projects, after both party-backed tickets prevailed against insurgent challengers in Bergen County’s 38th legislative district.

On the Democratic side, Swain and Tully beat back a challenge from Damali Robinson, the president of the Glen Rock Board of Education, and attorney Donald Bonomo, who ran on Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop’s statewide “Democrats for Change” ticket.

As of 10:49 p.m., Swain and Tully have 39% and 34% of the vote, respectively, while Robinson has 17% and Bonomo has 10%.

Kaiser and Wilkes, meanwhile, defeated Jerry Taylor, a Saddle Brook real estate agent who had failed to get party support at the Bergen GOP convention. Wilkes and Taylor have both run for Assembly in the district before: Wilkes was one of the party’s nominees in 2023, and Taylor was nominated in 2021.

Kaiser and Wilkes currently have 44% and 41% of the vote to Taylor’s 16%.

Republicans made a big play to flip the 38th district two years ago but came up short, and Swain and Tully start out as the favorites for re-election this fall. In a striking turnaround from past elections, though, the 38th district voted for Donald Trump by 65 votes last year, potentially making Swain and Tully more appealing targets.