New Jersey’s 35th Legislative District is in North Jersey. It encompasses Elmwood Park and Garfield in Bergen County and Haledon, North Haledon, Paterson, and Prospect Park in Passaic County.
The district has largely been represented by Democrats for the past 50 years. About 47% of the district’s registered voters are Democrats, 12% are Republicans and most of the rest are unaffiliated.
All three incumbent Democrats are running for reelection.
Sen. Nellie Pou was elected to the Senate in 2011 after having served 14 years in the Assembly. Pou, of North Haledon, chairs the Senate Commerce Committee. The Republican candidate is Christopher Faustino of Paterson.
The Assembly incumbents are Shavonda Sumter, chair of the Assembly Community Development and Affairs Committee and president and CEO of Children’s Aid and Family Services, and Benjie Wimberly, recreation coordinator for the Paterson School District. Both are from Paterson. No Republicans are on the Assembly ballot.