Salem County Republicans endorsed two county officials for State Assembly in the swing 3rd legislative district at their convention this morning, backing Salem County Commissioner Edward Ramsay and Gloucester County Commissioner Chris Konawel.
Ramsey (45) and Konawel (42) defeated Harrison Township Deputy Mayor Lawrence Moore (27) and former Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer (9). Jason Witcher, a former municipal court judge running with Sawyer, did not participate; Sawyer did not attend.
The GOP is picking candidates to challenge two first-term lawmakers, Heather Simmons (D-Glassboro) and Dave Bailey, Jr. (D-Woodstown), in the general election. 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.
The vote followed this morning’s Cumberland GOP convention, which was won by Moore and Ramsey. Gloucester County Republicans will hold their convention on March 18.
In the race for Salem County Surrogate, County Commissioner Mickey Ostrum defeated former Assemblywoman Bethanne McCarthy Patrick (R-Mannington), 44-18, a massive 71% landslide. It’s not clear if McCarthy Patrick will challenge Ostrum in the June 10 Republican primary.
Nikki Burke, the last surviving Democrat in Salem County government, is not seeking re-election after twenty years as Surrogate.
Incumbents Dan Timmerman and Cordy Taylor were endorsed for second terms as Salem County commissioners without opposition.
Jack Ciattarelli won the Salem GOP endorsement by acclamation in his bid to become the Republican nominee for governor.