Steinhardt, DiMaio, Peterson announce 2027 reelection bids

TRENTON, N.J. — Three Republican lawmakers representing Northwest New Jersey announced they will seek reelection together in 2027, bringing more than four decades of legislative experience and statewide party leadership to a campaign focused on affordability, integrity in elections and fighting for the communities they serve.

State Sen. Doug Steinhardt and Assemblymen John DiMaio and Erik Peterson will run as a team in the 23rd Legislative District, which includes portions of Warren, Hunterdon and Somerset counties.

The three hold prominent positions in the Legislature and have spent years challenging state spending, government mandates and policies they say put additional burdens on taxpayers, families and small businesses.

“Every time Trenton comes up with another way to spend money, somebody back home has to pay for it,” Steinhardt said. “I see that firsthand on the Budget Committee. Taxpayers deserve someone who asks the tough questions before the money is spent, not after the damage is done.”

Steinhardt, of Lopatcong, chaired the New Jersey Republican State Committee from 2017 to 2020 and joined the Senate in December 2022. He serves on the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, where he scrutinizes state spending, and the Senate Labor Committee.

DiMaio, of Hackettstown, was first elected to the Assembly in 2009 and has led the Assembly Republican caucus since 2022. As minority leader, he represents Northwest New Jersey in major legislative negotiations with the governor and helps set the Republican agenda in Trenton.

But DiMaio said his most important work often happens far from the Assembly floor.

“There's a sign in my office that asks, ‘Who have we helped today?’ That's how I measure whether we're doing our jobs,” DiMaio said. “Titles don't mean much if you can't help the people who sent you here. That's what public service is supposed to be about.”

Constituent services will remain a central part of the team's work. Their district offices regularly assist residents struggling with state agencies, delayed benefits, bureaucratic red tape and other problems that can leave people without answers.

The lawmakers also pledged to continue opposing policies advanced by Gov. Mikie Sherrill and the Democratic legislative majority that they say are driving up the cost of living and making New Jersey less affordable.

Peterson, of Franklin, has served in the Assembly since 2009 and sits on the Commerce and Economic Development and Health committees. A frequent speaker on the Assembly floor, he has consistently argued that policies designed around New Jersey's urban and suburban communities often overlook the needs of its rural towns.

“I wish more lawmakers would come out and spend a day in our part of the state. They'd understand pretty quickly why one-size-fits-all policies don't work,” Peterson said. “Our farms, small businesses and towns aren't an afterthought. They're worth fighting for, and I'll never let Trenton forget it.”

The three lawmakers said their experience and leadership positions give Northwest New Jersey an established voice in Trenton at a time when Sherrill and Democratic legislative majority are pursuing an ambitious progressive policy agenda.

“Doug, Erik and I have worked together for years, and we know what it takes to get things done for the people we represent,” DiMaio said. “We're a team, and we're not finished.”

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