Pou, Johnson win re-election in diverse North Jersey districts

Two highly diverse, heavily Democratic legislative districts in North Jersey, the Paterson-based 35th district and Bergen County’s 37th district, have re-elected their Democratic legislative delegations, the New Jersey Globe projects.

In the 35th district, State Sen. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) beat Republican Christopher Faustino; Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-Paterson) and Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter (D-North Haledon) didn’t face any Republican opponents at all.

And in the 37th district, State Sen. Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood), Assemblywoman Shama Haider (D-Tenafly), and Assemblywoman Ellen Park (D-Englewood Cliffs) defeated Republicans Dierdre Paul, Katherine Lebovics, and Robert Bedoya, respectively.

The Republican ticket in the 37th district was not exactly a harmonious one. Bedoya, who had promoted a slogan associated with the conspiracy theory QAnon, had to overcome an effort by Paul – his own running mate – to kick him off the ballot for having insufficient signatures; he survived the challenge, forcing Paul to run alongside a candidate she viewed as unfit for the job.

But the Republican drama had no chance of impacting the general election results. Johnson, Park, and Haider – all of whom were first elected after a high-profile 2021 primary contest – were always going to win re-election regardless of their opponents.

See all 2023 election results HERE.