Erik_K._Simonsen
Erik K. Simonsen
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
Erik K. Simonsen is an American musician and Republican Party politician[2] who has represented the 1st Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since January 14, 2020, after defeating incumbent Assemblymen R. Bruce Land and Matthew W. Milam in the 2019 general election. Simonsen served as Mayor of Lower Township from 2016 until 2020.
Erik Simonsen | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 1st Legislative District district | |
| Assumed office January 14, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | R. Bruce Land Matthew W. Milam |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1968 or 1969 (age 55–56) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Lower Township, New Jersey |
| Alma mater | The College of New Jersey Rutgers University University of Scranton[1] |
| Website | Legislative Webpage |
Simonsen is the athletic director at Lower Cape May Regional High School.[3]
Simonsen ran as a team with Mike Testa for Senate and Antwan McClellan for Assembly. During the campaign, the team made immigration and taxes a key part of their campaign. He, alongside Testa and McClellan, ousted the 1st District's legislators, Senator Bob Andrzejczak, Assemblymen R. Bruce Land and Matthew W. Milam.[4] Their victories were the only gains Republicans made in the 2019 New Jersey elections.[5]
Tenure
Simonsen was sworn into office on January 14, 2020, when the 219th New Jersey Legislature convened.
Committee assignments
- Community Development and Affairs
- Education
- State and Local Government
- Joint Committee on the Public Schools
District 1
New Jersey's 1st Legislative District encompasses parts of Atlantic County, Cumberland County, and all of Cape May County. Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The representatives from the 1st District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[6]
- Senator Mike Testa (R)
- Assemblyman Antwan McClellan (R)
- Assemblyman Erik K. Simonsen (R)
General Assembly
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Erik Simonsen (incumbent) | 27,976 | 31.8 | |
| Republican | Antwan McClellan (incumbent) | 27,603 | 31.3 | |
| Democratic | Damita White-Morris | 16,257 | 18.5 | |
| Democratic | Eddie L. Bonner | 16,228 | 18.4 | |
| Total votes | 88,064 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Erik Simonsen (incumbent) | 40,803 | 31.61% | |
| Republican | Antwan McClellan (incumbent) | 40,405 | 31.30% | |
| Democratic | John P. Capizola Jr. | 23,818 | 18.45% | |
| Democratic | Julia L. Hankerson | 23,055 | 17.86% | |
| Libertarian | Michael Gallo | 589 | 0.46% | |
| Libertarian | Jacob Selwood | 399 | 0.31% | |
| Total votes | 129,069 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Erik Simonsen | 27,304 | 27.15% | |
| Republican | Antwan McClellan | 26,264 | 26.11% | |
| Democratic | Bruce Land (Incumbent) | 23,778 | 23.64% | |
| Democratic | Matthew W. Milam (Incumbent) | 23,234 | 23.10% | |
| Total votes | 100,508 | 100.0% | ||
- "Erik Simonsen". Press of Atlantic City.
- "Erik Simonsen and Antwan McClellan likely GOP Assembly candidates in 1st district". New Jersey Globe. March 4, 2019.
- LCMR General Information, Lower Cape May Regional School District. Accessed January 16, 2021.
- Verma, Pranshu. "Democrats suffer a setback in New Jersey as Republicans win battleground legislative districts", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 6, 2019. Accessed January 15, 2020. "In the same district, which covers Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties, Democratic incumbents Bruce Land and Matthew Milam conceded their Assembly race to Republican challengers Erik Simonsen and Antwan McClellan. Unofficial results showed Simonsen and McClellan leading by a four-point margin late Tuesday."
- Verma, Pranshu. "New Jersey Democrats outspent Republicans 3-1 in the 2019 election — and still lost seats", The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 3, 2019. Accessed January 15, 2020. "When the new legislative session begins in January, Democrats will hold a 52–28 majority in the lower house and a 25–15 edge in the upper chamber.... But all of the Democratic losses came in this district, with incumbent Democratic State Sen. Bob Andrzejczak losing to Republican challenger Mike Testa and the Democratic incumbents running for Assembly, Matthew Milam and Bruce Land, losing to Republican challengers Erik Simonsen and Antwan McClellan."
- Legislative Roster for District 1, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 21, 2024.
- "Candidates for General Assembly - For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2023 Election" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- "Official List, Candidates for General Assembly For GENERAL ELECTION 11/02/2021 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- "NJ general Assembly 01". Retrieved December 29, 2019.