Former Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer (R-3) has filed a letter of intent for the Republican Assembly nomination in LD3, Save Jersey has learned.
A realtor based in Woolwich Township, Sawyer served just one term in the General Assembly, winning an upset victory alongside Ed “The Trucker” Durr and Bethanne McCarthy Patrick in 2021. But Democrats came storming back two years later, sweeping the GOP out of all three seats and flipping several others across multiple districts.
Sawyer clearly hopes to retake her seat later this year.
LD3 is a sprawling South Jersey district comprised of farmland, small towns, exurban developments and Rust Belt-esque communities which have proved increasingly fertile territory for Republicans running on America First principles. It includes the Deerfield Township, Greenwich Township, Hopewell Township, Shiloh Borough, Stow Creek Township, and Upper Deerfield Township in Cumberland County; Clayton, East Greenwich Township, Elk Township, Glassboro, Greenwich Township, Harrison Township, Logan Township, Mantua Township, National Park, Paulsboro, Pitman, South Harrison Township, Swedesboro, Wenonah Borough, West Deptford Township, Westville, and Woolwich Township in Gloucester County; and Alloway Township, Carneys Point Township, Elmer, Elsinboro Township, Lower Alloways Creek Township, Mannington Township, Oldmans Township, Penns Grove, Pennsville Township, Pilesgrove Township, Pittsgrove Township, Quinton Township, Salem, Upper Pittsgrove Township and Woodstown in Salem County.
A relatively strong vote-getter, Sawyer didn’t end up running in November 2023 as originally expected; she decided instead to primary Durr (with whom she clashed from the beginning of their time in office). She ultimately lost the bitter intra-party contest, one front in a larger Gloucester County-centered GOP civil war that dominated the cycle and arguably hindered Republicans’ efforts in South Jersey. Durr won by a 2-to-1 margin and carried all 38 LD3 municipalities in June but went on to lose decisively in November.
The entire Assembly is up in 2025 but state senators get a pass until 2027. New Jersey will, however, elect a new governor this upcoming fall since Phil Murphy is term limited.
In 2024, Trump carried the district by 7.4-points (52.7% – 45.3%) over Kamala Harris, contributing to Republican optimism that the district’s freshman Democrat incumbents may have a tough time holding on with a strong Republican gubernatorial ticket at the top of the ballot… assuming, of course, that that’s what the party gets in June.
No other Republicans have formally signaled their intent to run in LD3 this year as of today.
