PRESIDENT ’ S VIEW
Election Recap : Change is Here
CIANJ will be an important voice for more business-friendly policies and programs .
By Anthony Russo President , CIANJ
On Nov . 2 , 2021 , New Jersey voters weighed in on selecting the New Jersey Governor , the New Jersey State Senate and the New Jersey State Assembly to lead the Garden State for the next two to four years . The 219th New Jersey State Legislature gets to work on the business of running our state in January .
The New Jersey Legislature operates on a twoyear cycle where members of the Assembly run for re-election every two years and members of the Senate run for re-election every four years , along with the governor .
In what proved to be a closer race than most expected , Governor Phil Murphy was re-elected and will begin his second and final term in January . The voter turnout was approximately 39 percent and mirrored previous elections where the U . S . President and members of Congress were not on the ballot . To put it in perspective , in 2020 , the voter turnout in New Jersey was at an all-time high at 72 percent .
The biggest surprise occurred in District # 3 ( South Jersey ) where longtime Senate
CIANJ speaks up for New Jersey businesses in Trenton . 6 COMMERCE www . commercemagnj . com
“ Businesses need to be vigilant and need to voice their positions and concerns in order to influence decision-makers who will impact the future of commerce and industry in New Jersey .”
President Stephen Sweeney lost to an unknown Republican challenger named Ed Durr , a truck driver and novice to the political world .
As Senate President , Senator Sweeney controlled the Senate for the last 11 years . The role of Senate President is an important role because the Senate President selects committee chairs and controls the flow of legislation in the Senate . Make no mistake , it is an important position for all of New Jersey and last month , members of the Senate selected Senator Nicholas Scutari of Union County to replace Senator Sweeney .
Senator Scutari , an attorney and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee , will become the
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / aimintang
In what proved to be a closer race than most expected , Governor Phil Murphy was re-elected and will begin his second and final term in January .
Senate President when the new Legislature is sworn in on Jan . 11 , 2022 .
Republicans converted District # 2 ( Atlantic City ) all red when Vincent Polistina held on to the Republican Senate seat vacated by Chris Brown and former Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian and former Deputy Attorney General Claire Swift will take the two Assembly seats .
The Democrats converted District # 16 ( Somerset ) all blue when Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker beat the Republican Challenger , Mike Pappas , a former member of Congress . Longtime Senator Kip Bateman ( R ) announced his retirement earlier this year .
So , what does this mean to the New Jersey business community ?
Well , whenever you change the dynamic of how work is done in Trenton with new people , it calls for a wait-and-see approach . Businesses need to be vigilant and need to voice their positions and concerns in order to influence decision-makers who will impact the future of commerce and industry in New Jersey .
CIANJ will be an important voice , as we try to carve a space in the agenda for more business-friendly policies and programs .
Photo : New Jersey Governor ’ s Office