A source told InsiderNJ that Sean F. Byrnes, an attorney who did seven years in the Coast Guard and served as prosecutor in Atlantic Highlands, will challenge for the Democrats this year in Republican-leaning LD13.

As reported earlier today, veteran Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon appears well positioned to win the Republican nomination in that district this coming June now that Assemblywoman Amy Handlin plans to run for reelection rather than run to succeed state Senator Joe Kyrillos (R-13).

In 2009, the same year that Republican Chris Christie buried Democrat Jon Corzine in Monmouth County, Byrnes ran an unsuccessful bid for freeholder.

He also served on the Middletown Township Committee from 2008 to 2011.