Election profile: 33rd Legislative District
New Jersey’s 33rd Legislative District lies along the Hudson River and its boundaries changed as a result of the recent reapportionment. It now covers Guttenberg, North Bergen, Secaucus, Union City, Weehawken and West New York in Hudson County.
Long a blue district, Democrats make up 58% of the registered voters, while 11% are Republicans and most of the rest are unaffiliated.
The Republican party did not field any candidates in the 33rd, but there is an independent running in each race.
Sen. Brian Stack, a Democrat who joined the Senate in 2008 and is also the mayor of Union City, is the only one of three current lawmakers seeking reelection in the district. He will face third-party candidate Joanne Kuniansky, who is running as a member of the Socialist Workers Party and recently ran unsuccessfully governor.
Because of changes in the district, Assemblyman Raj Mukherji is running for the open Senate seat in the neighboring 32nd District and Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro decided to bow out after losing the endorsement of the Hudson County Democratic Organization. Instead, the party is running Julio Marenco, a North Bergen commissioner, and Gabriel Rodriguez, the current mayor of West New York, for Assembly. Another Socialist Workers Party candidate, Lea Sherman, is also running for the Assembly.
Editor’s note: All candidates for state legislative seats were contacted multiple times for the NJ Decides 2023 voting guide Q&As. Click on a candidate to see who responded and any answers provided. More information about the project, including the full text of the questions, is available here.
The candidates
SENATE
Age: 57 Hometown: Union City Occupation: Mayor and senator Personal background: Hometown is Union City. Graduated from Emerson High School. Has experience in multiple levels of government from local to state. He is the longest-running mayor of Union City, now serving his 23rd year. He was elected as state senator for the 33rd Legislative District and is currently serving his 15th year. Political background: Was first elected mayor of Union City in 2000. He served on the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1998 to 2004. Elected to the General Assembly from 2004 to 2007. He then ran for Senate and has been representing the 33rd Legislative District from 2008 to the present. He is chair of the Judiciary Committee and vice chair of Community and Urban Affairs. Why are you running for office? Senator Stack has a passion for constituent services and helping those residents in his district. Key election issue: He wishes to continue working on issues that directly affect the residents of his district, while at the same time benefiting all residents of New Jersey by creating bills that will directly address those concerns. Example of a successful project: S1055, under the bill a municipality could create an ordinance to prohibit the conversion of any affordable housing unit to a condominium. S3691, provides comprehensive housing eviction prevention and utility assistance for renters who were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Example of a challenge faced: Protecting tenant rights. Creating bills that will continue protecting the rights of tenants. On NJ’s gun laws: He is a strong advocate for gun control. He supports any law that promotes safety and reduces gun violence. On the Murphy administration’s climate change proposals: Senator Stack supports Gov. Murphy’s initiatives to combat climate change. Climate change has become a very important factor and he believes Gov. Murphy has been doing a great job to address the issue. He is ready to help in any way he can. On housing affordability and property taxes: The conversation of cost of rent, housing affordability and property taxes in New Jersey has always been of high priority to Senator Stack. In the Senate, he has pushed for stronger rent control, housing affordability and stabilizing taxes. It is a never-ending battle and he will continue to push for these topics.
The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.
ASSEMBLY
The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.
The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.
The candidate did not respond to the questionnaire.