By Matt Rooney
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Atlantic City Councilman Jesse Kurtz will run for one of two Assembly seats in the Second Legislative District this year; the candidate announced his highly-anticipated decision exclusively to Save Jersey on Tuesday evening.
“I am born and raised in Atlantic City and now my wife and I are raising our family here. I have a proven ability to work beyond party lines to get things done and that’s what Trenton needs now more than ever,” Kurtz said.
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The 6th Ward councilman is undeniably a political unicorn in 2021: he’s a conservative millennial Republican elected official serving multiple terms in a diverse urban center. By all accounts he shouldn’t exist. The father of seven (!) – who expertly manages his family and official responsibilities as well as his career as a technology professional – continues to defy the odds, and it’s one of the many reasons why is candidacy is bound to impress voters of all stripes this election cycle.
“It’s hard enough to win as a Republican in Atlantic City once. Jesse has done it twice, which is a testament to his hard work. He’s been a leader among young Republicans and will take the fight to Mazzeo and Armato as a candidate for the Assembly,” said Atlantic County Republican Chairman Keith Davis.
Kurtz has not just been a leader on council as the city governing body’s only Republican member after winning reelection in 2019 by a landslide margin but also in the statewide conservative movement, hosting an annual brunch coinciding with the Leage of Municipalities conference that has become a “must attend” gathering for New Jersey GOP leaders.
If elected to the legislature, the councilman intends to focus squarely on the Murphy Administration’s failed response to COVID-19 and the disastrous impact it’s had on the Atlantic City metro area. Atlantic County experienced a historic 34.2% jobs collapse between Q2 2019 and Q2 2020, the worst of any populous American county.
He’s sponsored adopted resolutions on council calling on the Murphy Administration to increase indoor restaurant capacity and, most recently, relax its draconian 10 p.m. rule.
“Our Governor continues to rule by ‘emergency’ Executive Orders,” Kurtz added. “The people of New Jersey elected our Governor and Legislature to work through the challenging issues we are facing today. If our Governor wishes to enact restrictions that prevent people from providing for their families, he must work with the Legislature so there can be an honest debate about the detrimental impact his orders are having on communities like Atlantic City,” said Kurtz.
“It is tragic to see our residents struggling to make ends meet, educate their children and feed their families all while trying to stay healthy. The need for public assistance has skyrocketed while jobs disappear in the hospitality industry. We must do a better job of representing the people that work so hard for us. I am running for Assembly because Trenton is not working for us, and we need strong leaders with common sense to fix it.”
Battleground LD2 is contained entirely inside Atlantic County and includes not just Atlantic City proper but also Brigantine, Buena, Buena Vista, Egg Harbor City, Egg Harbor Township, Folsom, Hamilton Township, Linwood, Longport,
Democrats control both LD2 Assembly seats; the Senate seat is occupied by Chris Brown (R-2).
Former Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian and Atlantic Commissioner John Risley will compete with Kurtz to be Brown’s running mates.
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