Legislative District 16 Democratic Ticket Files Petitions, Launch Campaign

Trenton, NJ — The Democratic ticket for the 16th Legislative District is set as Andrew Zwicker, Roy Freiman, and Sadaf Jaffer filed their petitions and kicked off their campaign.

Zwicker is running to become the first-ever Democrat to represent the district in the Senate, Freiman is pursuing a third term in the General Assembly, and Jaffer will seek to fill the Assembly seat left open by Asm. Zwicker (D – South Brunswick).

Andrew Zwicker made history in 2015 as the first Democrat to represent the 16th in the New Jersey Assembly and was joined by Roy Freiman (D – Hillsborough) in 2017 as they completed the Democratic sweep of the Assembly seats. Sadaf Jaffer (D – Montgomery) made her own mark on history in 2019 as the first South Asian woman to serve as mayor in New Jersey and the first Muslim woman to serve as mayor in the United States. If elected she will become the first Asian American woman and first Muslim American member of the New Jersey Legislature.

“It is an honor to run for the State Senate and I am thrilled to be running with Roy and Sadaf,” said Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker. “The challenges faced by the people of NJ during the past year are unprecedented and I believe we bring a unique set of skills and background that are necessary to help lead New Jersey’s personal and economic recovery.  During my time in the General Assembly, I worked hard to grow our economy, protect our environment and expand access to voting, and I plan to continue that work in the Senate. ” Assemblyman Zwicker is a physicist living in Kingston with his wife Barbara where they raised three children together

“Over the last four years, I am proud to have worked on passing legislation requiring equal pay for equal work, establishing a $15 minimum wage, and making sure tax breaks for restaurants and small businesses affected by COVID are included in our recovery plan. Recovering from the pandemic will require innovative, creative, and collaborative teamwork. However, the reason I am running is because ‘recovery’ should be the minimum standard to which we strive. ‘Recovery’ is just the beginning, not the goal, and ‘recovery from the pandemic’ will be the cornerstone of the greatest chapter in our state’s history.” Assemblyman Roy Freiman, who solidified Democratic representation in the 16th district by winning his Assembly seat in 2017, worked at Prudential Financial for 25 years prior to becoming a full-time legislator. He resides in Hillsborough, where he, along with his wife Vicki, raised two children.

“Our democracy is stronger when it includes diverse voices in policymaking. As a two-term mayor of Montgomery Township, I focused on building trust within the community through engagement and communication with residents who may have previously felt disconnected from local government. I am running for office for my 6-year-old daughter who deserves a state government that represents her, for my parents who, like many, came to this country as immigrants and have made invaluable contributions to the community, and for all the people of the 16th district, who deserve values-driven elected officials,” said Jaffer.

Sadaf Jaffer is a two-term former mayor of Montgomery Township, a researcher at Princeton University, a community activist, and a parent. She will bring research-based and values-driven leadership to LD16. As mayor, she kept residents informed and connected during the COVID crisis by creating and implementing a robust crisis communications plan, incorporating community input on infrastructure projects while bringing down costs, and brought a fresh perspective to municipal government by creating a Youth Leadership Council and an Inclusion and Equity Committee. She lives in Montgomery with her husband Dan and their daughter.