By Michelle Brunetti , Atlantic City Press
State Sen. Chris Brown, R-Atlantic, will not seek reelection, he said Thursday.
Former Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, who previously planned to run for Assembly in the 2nd District, will instead seek to replace Brown.
Brown, 56, who was expected to have a good shot at winning a second term, has been in the state Legislature for 10 years, including six as an assemblyman.
“This chapter in my life was a page-turner, particularly the story about our successful fight to defeat North Jersey casinos, which saved our industry and thousands of local jobs,” Brown said. “I’m grateful for those who helped me write all of the pages in this chapter.”
He said he has been realizing lately how short life is. His father died at 58, when Brown was 22. And Brown was activated to serve in Iraq at 26, when he was a third-year law student.
“Knowing the pages in the Book of Life turn quickly, I believe each chapter should be an adventure,” Brown said. “While this chapter of serving as a legislator is coming to an end, I am looking forward to the next chapter, which I’m sure will lead to another adventure for my family and me. I don’t know what that adventure will be, but I’m excited to find out.”
The unexpected opening means this year’s 2nd Legislative District race will be hard fought and expensive, predicted John Froonjian, executive director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University.
“I would be surprised if Assemblyman (Vince) Mazzeo did not run. He has shown in the past he was interested in the Senate seat in 2017, and had been rumored to be considering it this time,” Froonjian said of the Democrat.
That would mean both the state Senate and an Assembly seat would be open and candidates on both sides would line up to compete, Froonjian said.
Mazzeo, D-Atlantic, said Thursday he will make a decision soon.
“I’m certainly interested. I have a family and close friends to talk to, as well as staff members who have been with me,” Mazzeo said. “I’ll make a decision sooner rather than later. I’ve been 18 years in public office and have learned to be a little more patient with my decision making.”
Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson said no Democrat wanted to run against Brown.
“I will miss him. He served this area extraordinarily well,” Levinson said, citing Brown’s quiet demeanor and the respect everyone had for him. “We were lucky to have him as long as we did.”
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