Matsikoudis Delivers Farewell Address, Emphasizes Importance of Women’s Representation in Government

TRENTON, N.J. – Speaking for the final time on the New Jersey General Assembly floor, Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis (R-New Providence) delivered the following remarks:

“I first ran for this office to serve as an independent voice with one simple mission in mind: to help people. And over the past four years, that’s exactly what I’ve strived to do.

When I was sworn into this chamber, I came here not with ambitions for fancy titles or flashy headlines, but with a desire to make a real difference for residents. I’ve never believed in speaking simply for the sake of being heard, which is why you haven’t seen me give many speeches on this floor. It’s just not my style. I’ve always maintained that the most important and meaningful work we do as legislators often happens behind the scenes—working through problems, building trust, and delivering results for the people we represent. In short, I’ve tried to let the work speak for itself.

And whenever possible, I’ve aimed to do that work in a bipartisan manner. One of my guiding beliefs is that there is far more that unites us than divides us. Our goals on both sides of this chamber are very often the same; we want safer communities, stronger schools, healthier families, and a more affordable New Jersey for all. Where we differ is not usually in our intent, but in how we should achieve that vision. And I firmly believe that the best solutions, and the best outcomes for the people of this state, are forged through honest dialogue, respect, and bipartisan compromise. Contrary to what you may see in the comments section on social media, that spirit of collaboration is not a weakness—it is a strength, and it is the hallmark of good governance. And as this body continues to evolve next session, and the partisan dynamics here continue to shift, I hope that we never lose sight of that shared mission. Our constituents deserve leaders who talk TO one another, not AT one another.

That also means staying focused on the state and local issues that our residents send us here to solve, rather than importing national political fights that make good headlines but only make it harder to get real work done. New Jersey works best when we focus on New Jersey.

Serving in the minority caucus, I understood from the very beginning that progress would not come easily—but I also believed it was possible. And I’m grateful that, through persistence and partnership, more than 100 bills that I sponsored or co-sponsored have passed this Assembly, with over 50 ultimately signed into law. Among the accomplishments I’ll look back on most fondly is my first bill to become law: legislation that allowed veterans to use their military medical training toward licensure as practical nurses, recognizing their service while meeting real workforce needs. I was also honored to work with my friends across the aisle to establish a rape kit tracking system and strengthen protections for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. And I was proud to support efforts to help our state recruit and retain quality educators, remove unnecessary mandates, and cut red tape that too often stands in the way of common-sense solutions. There is still plenty of work left to do, but I will leave office next month knowing that my team and I contributed to meaningful progress and helped move important conversations forward.

At the core of everything my office did was a commitment to constituent service, and in many ways, that work was the most fulfilling part of this job for me. Helping a family recover long-delayed benefits, assisting a senior navigating state bureaucracy, or making sure someone in need finally received the help they deserved reminded me constantly that our work truly matters. The casework side of this role demonstrates the real-life impact of our decisions, and reinforces that government works best when it listens, responds, and delivers to the residents it serves.

As I look towards the future, one of the legacies I care most deeply about leaving behind is supporting women in leadership. Throughout my career—both in the private sector and in public service—I have often found myself as one of the only women in the room. That experience has shaped my belief that representation matters, and that it’s our responsibility to encourage more community-minded women to step forward, raise their hands, and see themselves as the leaders that they are.

But if we are serious about strengthening women’s representation in government, we also have to be honest about the environment that we’re creating. It becomes harder to encourage strong, independent women to engage in public life when they see how other women are treated for doing just that. Though there is certainly some progress to point to, when I look at our state’s power structure today, I still see a system where men with money and power too often use their resources to undermine independent women rather than engage honestly with their ideas. That is a system that should trouble ALL of us, regardless of which side of this chamber we sit on.

As we head into the next legislative session, I have no doubt that there will be questions about why there are so few Republican women remaining in the Assembly. To me, the answer is clear: when moderate women who are considering running for office see that those who do step forward face an onslaught of false claims that they don’t support the rights of other women—something that my district mate and I experienced firsthand—then many understandably decide that public service comes at too high a price. If we do not find a way to fix that problem, then the gender gap here in this state will only continue to grow. That’s not a partisan concern; it’s a cultural one. And it’s something we should all be willing to confront if we want a Legislature that truly reflects the people we serve.

Even so, as I look around this room today, I am deeply grateful to the colleagues I see on both sides of this chamber who have worked with me in good faith, challenged me respectfully, and reminded me that here, in this building, relationships still matter. Thank you all for your friendship and for your partnership over these past four years.

I’m also incredibly grateful to my family for their support throughout my time in public service: my husband John, our children John, Lillie, and William, and my mom Rolene. Each of them made sacrifices so that I could embark on this incredible journey, and the loving support they provided along the way made all the difference. I’m deeply grateful as well to my district mates, Senator Jon Bramnick and Assemblywoman Nancy Muñoz, who have made this an absolute joy and have provided me with guidance and mentorship along the way.

I also want to thank the incredible team that made everything we accomplished over the past four years possible. I’ll start by thanking my first Chief of Staff, Kean MacLelland, who laid the foundation for our office and set a standard of excellence that guided us from day one. Thank you as well to my current Chief of Staff, Josh Kutner, whose steady guidance, hard work, and dedication carried us through some of our most productive and challenging moments. I’d also like to give special recognition to our Director of Constituent Services Alex Pereira, whose steadfast efforts helped recover nearly one-and-a-half million dollars for residents, and to Isabella Kovar for all of her critically important district outreach efforts. Finally, I am deeply thankful for the dozens of District Office interns who brought energy, compassion, and young talent to our team, and who will help carry our community service mission forward as they launch their own careers in the years ahead.

In closing, serving in the Assembly has been one of the greatest honors of my life. As this chapter comes to an end, I am proud to say with confidence that I always stayed true to that one simple mission that brought me here in the first place: to help people. Help is exactly what we did.

Thank you all for the privilege of serving alongside you. I wish each of you continued strength, wisdom, and courage in the important work that lies ahead.”

Matsikoudis’ term of office concludes on Tuesday, January 13th, as the 222nd New Jersey Legislature begins.

# # #