Assemblymen McClellan, Simonsen up for re-election along with new governor in November
TRENTON — New Jersey’s First Legislative District representatives have southern New Jersey’s well-being on their minds as 2025 gets rolling.
Republicans state Sen. Michael Testa and Assemblymen Antwan McClellan and Erik Simonsen oversee District 1, which consists of all of Cape May and Cumberland counties and part of Atlantic County.
The trio ran together for office in 2019 and are in the midst of their third consecutive term.
During recent interviews, they said their priorities revolve around the unique aspects of the region rather than the state as a whole.
“You’ll see the bills that we try to push forward are concerned with things in our area like the fisheries,” said Simonsen, a former Lower Township Council member. “That’s one of our major industries and we deal with tourism and hospitality, too. There are a lot of rural areas in our district that we worry about getting internet to or public transportation.”
Both members of the Assembly have worked in their local school district — Simonsen is athletic director at Lower Cape May Regional School District — which has helped them realize the importance of advocating for school systems.
“It gives us a different, well-rounded perspective of what we should be doing as a Legislature to support our kids and help our teachers,” said McClellan, a former Ocean City Council and Board of Education member. “We need to give those dollars and cents to our school districts to make sure our kids have everything they need to be successful.”
Environment, climate change
Environmental and climate concerns are among the top priorities for District 1.
“Growing up at the bay and ocean taught us about the way our life down here relies on wetlands and wildlife as well,” Simonsen said. “When we pass or vote on bills, we’re conscious of that.”
Living in southern New Jersey has given the legislators front-row seats to the changing climate and rising sea level.
“This should not be a partisan issue,” McClellan said. “I think protecting the climate is something that we all need to do together in a nonpartisan way and fight for our lives.”
While the legislators actively work to pass environmental policy, they want the room to make decisions on a local level.
“One of the biggest issues is the NJ PACT,” Simonsen said. “We met with the commissioner of DEP last week. Antwan and I, along with Sen. Testa, represent the bayshore communities as well as the oceanside communities of Cape May County.”
Environmental policy is on McClellan and Simonsen’s agenda entering the new year, but they question parts of the Department of Environmental Protection’s New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats (NJPACT) and Resilient Environmental and Landscapes (REAL) proposals that would require elevated first floors and expanded flood inundation zones for new construction and properties that undergo significant renovation.
Key components to the proposed regulations include adjusting coastal flood hazard areas to account for rising sea levels and storm surge, which would extend jurisdictional area further inland and require higher first-floor elevations or flood-proofing for buildings as well as elevated roadways.
“This NJPACT is pretty extreme,” Simonsen said. “It’s just going to be very costly for our communities anywhere near the water.”
Testa and the assemblymen believe that the best way to combat the climate is direct action made at a local level.
“We know that climate change is real,” McClellan said. “We’re not going to pretend that it’s not, so allow us to make the incremental adjustments that need to be made to secure not only our way of life but to secure our environment and make sure that it’s good.”
Gubernatorial,
Assembly election
An election is held every odd year in the Assembly and they will be running for a fourth term in November, adding a campaign and being re-elected to their list of priorities.
“We’re only two-year terms,” Simonsen said. “The first year you’re in office, you’re trying to figure everything out, and the second half of the term you’re back running again. This is the third term we’ll be completing and we look forward to a fourth.”
After five years together, they’re proud of the relationship they’ve formed with others in the chamber and said regardless of their party, find them an integral part of working for the people.
“The things we’ve done for the people will carry over,” Simonsen said. “The longevity helps us and now we can get more done because we have established relationships.”
This year also includes the gubernatorial election. Gov. Phil Murphy is ineligible to run again after his two consecutive terms. There already are more than a dozen potential candidates on the Democratic and Republican sides.
“This will be our first term going in with a new governor,” McClellan said. “The hope is that the governor we select will be south Jersey-focused because we know how important South Jersey is, not only to us but to the entire state.”
A new governor on the horizon leaves the legislators hoping for someone who will make the region a priority. They say southern New Jersey has been neglected and not provided what was needed to fund the striving tourist region.
“Invest in the fact that our tourism is the best tourism, not only in the state but probably in the country,” McClellan said. “Realistically, the things that Cape May is doing, with the amount of investment they don’t receive from the state, is uncharted.”
Testa is a member of the Senate Budget Appropriations Committee and sees where the money is divested.
“The governor and their budget is going to have to be intellectually honest,” he said. “You look at Cape May County, and it’s the number two county for tourism tax dollars, and so many of those tax dollars go to Trenton and go into the general fund. I see all this money going to other jurisdictions. ”
They said they are looking for a governor who gives local legislators the opportunity and room to make the decisions they know will be best for their district.
“Allow us to be us, and if we need your help, then work with us as opposed to trying to demand and tell us what we should be doing,” McClellan said. “We can lead that charge with Sen. Testa with south Jersey in the forefront.”
Testa shared the same sentiments about prioritizing the region.
As co-chairman of the Manufacturing Caucus, Testa is invested in New Jersey’s merchandising market. He believes it’s an opportunity to open up the job market and make it possible for New Jersey residents to have more livable wages.
“I’ve been trying to highlight manufacturers in New Jersey and what the economic multiplier is,” he said. “The employment opportunities are there for so many people, and they don’t know manufacturing has so much growth potential.”
The legislators are eager to put their best foot forward with the possibility of a fourth term on the horizon.
“The people know us at this point,” Testa said. “The way we’ve gotten re-elected is we continue to work hard for our legislative district and represent everyone. We continue to put in the work and make south Jersey a priority.”
– By JULIA DiGERONIMO/For the Sentinel