On Monday, Assemblyman Chris Tully (D-Bergenfield) and Assemblywoman Lisa Swain (D-Fair Lawn) declared their intentions to run for reelection in the 38th district.
Following the opening of both Assembly seats, the Bergen County pair became members of the Legislature in 2018. More than two dozen people endorsed the couple, including state senator Joe Lagana (D-Paramus) and Paul Juliano, the Democratic chair of Bergen County.
“I am proud of the progress we have made to lower taxes, improve public safety, and invest in our schools,” Swain stated in the announcement, adding that it is an amazing privilege to serve the people of LD38. There is more work to be done to create a more resilient and cost-effective New Jersey for all of our families, which is why I am running for reelection.
The president of the Glen Rock Board of Education, Damali Robinson, and lawyer Donald Bonomo are already Swain and Tully’s main opponents. As part of his anti-establishment gubernatorial campaign, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop is backing a group of Assembly candidates, including the latter pair.
According to financial reports, Tully had $41,818 on hand at the start of the year, while Swain had $90,707 at the start of 2025.
Assemblywoman Swain and I have always prioritized our neighborhoods, whether it is by providing property tax relief or advocating for small businesses, Tully stated. We will keep working to make sure LD38 has a powerful voice in Trenton with the help of local authorities and citizens.
Robert Kaiser, a Republican councilman from Paramus who had thought about challenging Lagana for the state Senate, also filed to run.
The mayors of Bergenfield, Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Maywood, Moonachie, New Milford, Lodi, Rochelle Park, River Edge, Saddle Brook, and South Hackensack, as well as Bergen County Democratic Vice Chair Balpreet Grewal-Virk, are also supporting Swain and Tully.
