NJ Voters Guide: 12th Legislative District
New Jersey’s 12th Legislative District lies in the center of the state. It includes portions of four counties: North Hanover in Burlington County; Helmetta, Old Bridge and Spotswood in Middlesex; Allentown, Englishtown, Manalapan, Matawan, Millstone, Roosevelt and Upper Freehold in Monmouth; and Jackson and Plumsted in Ocean.
The district has been largely represented by Republicans since the 1980s. Currently, about 36% of registered voters are Republican and about 27% are Democrats. The plurality, or about 37%, are unaffiliated.
Seeking reelction are both Republican assemblymen, Robert Clifton, the director of local government affairs with Comcast Cable, and Alex Sauickie, a financial consultant.
The Democratic party’s candidates are Freshta Taeb, who in the primary ran on Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop’s Democrats for Change slate, and Kyler Dineen of Old Bridge.
Editor’s note: All candidates were contacted multiple times for the NJ Decides 2025 voting guide Q&As. Click on a candidate to see any answers provided.
The candidates
The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.
Age: 43 Hometown: Old Bridge Occupation: Mental Healthcare Professional Personal or professional background: I’m Freshta Taeb, a local mom, business owner, and mental health professional. Throughout my career, I have been deeply committed to service. I have held leadership roles in non-profit organizations, including serving as Program Director for one of New Jersey’s largest domestic violence agencies. My passion for education led me to teach at both the elementary and high school levels, and my work has extended into media, veterans’ advocacy, and disaster relief. I currently serve as a mental health professional and faculty member at Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs, where I contribute to shaping future leaders and providing critical support to underserved populations. What is your top issue this year? My campaign’s top issue revolves around affordability. Families in LD12 are being crushed by the cost of living whether it is skyrocketing rent, high mortgage rates, unaffordable childcare, outrageous utility bills, and healthcare that drains savings. Nearly half of renters here are spending over 30% of their income just to keep a roof over their heads, and families paying for permanent homes do not have enough to get by while seniors in retirement communities can barely scrape by on fixed income. What are your specific proposals for making New Jersey more affordable? Expand property tax relief to help seniors and long-time residents stay in their homes. Support first-time buyers and small businesses by reforming zoning laws to increase affordable housing. Crack down on predatory landlords and corporate rent-gouging. Lower utility and healthcare costs so families don’t have to choose between medicine and meals. Invest in local farms to expand food access and fight corporate price gouging. Support affordable childcare by lowering taxes for childcare facilities and increasing child tax credits. Do you support the state law designed to increase the amount of affordable housing and if not, how would you make housing less costly for residents? Yes, I do support the state law designed to increase the amount of affordable housing in New Jersey. Like all development, however, it must be done responsibly and with the input of local communities with respect to existing infrastructure to ensure that crowding and overdevelopment do not become issues as a result of the construction of new affordable housing. Should this growth be done responsibly, the cost of housing will begin to stabilize for residents. Affordable housing is incredilbly important especially considering the need to protect members of our community living on fixed incomes or ensuring that veterans have a roof over their heads who already face insurmountable challenges on top of rising housing costs. How would you manage potential federal funding cuts to social services, health care, education, and other areas, particularly in light of the state’s budget challenges? New Jersey should do its best to supplement the lack of federal funding for essential programs by effectively utilizing taxpayer dollars and directing them to the most effective and helpful programs for NJ residents who are negatively impacted by lack of funding in crucial areas. In LD-12 especially multiple school districts have faced severe budget cuts, forcing school programs to shut down and teachers to be laid off. That lack of quality education due to lack of funding makes places like the district I am running for harder to live in. The state needs to take an active role in looking out for its residents and advocating on their behalf and using their taxpayer dollars in the most effective manner.
The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.
The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.
