NJ Spotlight is sharing election coverage with NJTV News, our sister organization, which invited all candidates to complete a brief survey and record a video message; we have included those for all the candidates who responded.

The 21st District encompasses 16 communities in Morris, Somerset, and Union counties: Berkeley Heights, Bernards, Chatham Borough, Cranford, Far Hills, Garwood, Kenilworth, Long Hill, Mountainside, New Providence, Roselle Park, Springfield, Summit, Warren, Watchung, and Westfield.

The district is represented by Republicans, but voter registration leans slightly Democratic: 31% to 28%. Unaffiliated voters traditionally swing the results to the “red” side of the ballot.

Among the closest contests in 2017, this is considered a battleground district.

Both GOP Assembly members are on the ballot: Jon Bramnick of Westfield, who is the Republican leader in the lower house, and Nancy Munoz of Summit.

The Democratic challengers are Lisa Mandelblatt of Westfield, who had filed to run for Congress last year but then bowed out, and Stacey Gunderman of New Providence.

Complicating the re-election efforts of the incumbents is a team of independents running under the banner Independent Conservative: Martin Marks of Cranford and Harris Pappas of Springfield.

ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES

JON BRAMNICK: REPUBLICAN (incumbent)

Hometown: Westfield

Occupation: Attorney

Top three issues: Ending court-imposed, high-density housing; lowering property taxes; eliminating health insurance pre-approvals.

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NANCY MUNOZ: REPUBLICAN (incumbent)

Hometown: Summit

Occupation: Legislator

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LISA MANDELBLATT: DEMOCRAT

Hometown: Westfield

Occupation: Attorney

Top three issues: Healthcare; affordability; gun violence prevention.

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STACEY GUNDERMAN: DEMOCRAT

Hometown: New Providence

Occupation:Sales professional

Top three issues: Healthcare; gun safety; affordability

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MARTIN MARKS: INDEPENDENT (Independent Conservative)

Hometown: Cranford

Occupation: Dentist

Contact this candidate by email at martinmarks62@msn.com.

 

HARRIS PAPPAS: INDEPENDENT (Independent Conservative)

Hometown: Springfield

Occupation: Independent insurance broker

Contact this candidate by email at harry-p.pappas@gmail.com.