Report: Sawyer will seek return to 3rd district Assembly seat

Former Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer (R-Woolwich) is seeking a return to the 3rd district seat she gave up in 2023 to run for the State Senate, Save Jersey reported today.

Sawyer was the upset winner in a 2021 campaign for the Assembly, ousting incumbents John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro) and Adam Taliaferro (D-Woolwich) in a South Jersey district that Jack Ciattarelli carried by almost sixteen percentage points against Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.  She defeated Burzichelli, a 22-year incumbent, by 2,854 votes.

In 2023, Sawyer challenged State Sen. Ed Durr (R-Logan) in the Republican primary and lost, 65%-25%.  Durr had ousted Senate President Steve Sweeney by a 52%-48% margin in 2021.

In the general election, Burzichelli unseated Durr by a 53.4% to 46.2% margin.

Democrats flipped two Assembly seats in the 3rd in 2023: Heather Simmons (D-Glassboro), a Gloucester County Commissioner, and non-profit executive Dave Bailey, Jr. (D-Woodstown) beat Bethanne McCarthy Patrick (R-Mannington), who had run with Sawyer in 2021, and Hopewell Township Committeeman Thomas Tedesco.  McCarthy Patrick came within 1,215 votes of winning a second term.

The 3rd district, which includes parts of Gloucester and Cumberland counties and all of Salem, went for Donald Trump by a 7.5% margin last year.  Trump won the district by 2.7 points in 2020.

So far, Sawyer is the only announced candidate.