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SACRAMENTO Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Raji Brar, of Bakersfield, has been appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees. Brar has been Owner and Chief Operations Officer of Countryside Corporation since 2003. She served on the Arvin City Council from 2006 to 2008. Brar was Executive Assistant at Clinica Sierra Vista from 2002 to 2003. She was a Chemist at BC Laboratories from 2000 to 2002. Brar is Co-Founder of the Bakersfield Sikh Womens Association. She is President of the CSU Bakersfield Foundation Board and is a member of the Kern County Hospital Authority Board, Kern High School District Education Foundation Board, KERO Channel 23 Community Advisory Board, and the Advisory Board of Kern Venture Group. Brar earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Master of Science degree in Health Care from California State University, Bakersfield. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Brar is a Democrat.

Mark Ghilarducci, of El Dorado Hills, has been appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees. Ghilarducci served as Director of the Governors Office of Emergency Services from 2013 to 2023, where he served as Deputy Director from 2000 to 2003. He was Secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency from 2012 to 2013. Ghilarducci was Partner and Managing Director at Diamante Partners LLC from 2011 to 2012. He was Vice President at Witt and Associates from 2003 to 2011. Ghilarducci was Federal Coordinating Officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 1997 to 2000. He was Deputy Fire Chief and Director of Special Operations Branch for the Governors Office of Emergency Services Fire Rescue from 1988 to 1977. Ghilarducci earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology from the University of California, Davis. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Ghilarducci is a Democrat.

John Jack McGrory, of San Diego, has been reappointed to the California State University Board of Trustees, where he has served since 2018. McGrory has been Chief Executive Officer of La Jolla MJ Management LLC since 2009. He was Manager at the Price Group from 2001 to 2009. McGrory was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Price Legacy Corporation from 2003 to 2004 and City Manager for the City of San Diego from 1991 to 1997. He served as an Infantry Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1971 to 1974. McGrory is Chairman of the Veterans Advisory Council at San Diego State University and Chairman of the San Diego State University School of Public Affairs. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics from Colgate University, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and a Master of Public Administration degree from San Diego State University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. McGrory is a Democrat.

Joseph Eto, of Oakland, has been appointed to the California Independent System Operator Board of Governors. Eto has been a Staff Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory since 1982. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Eto earned a Master of Science degree in Energy and Resources from the University of California, Berkeley. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $40,000, in addition to per diem meeting preparation and attendance costs. Eto is a Democrat.

Mark Burri, of Burlingame, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where he has served since 2022. Burri has been Business Manager, Financial Secretary, and Treasurer at Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 467 since 2016. Burri is an executive board member of the San Mateo County Building & Construction Trades Council and the San Mateo County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management from California State University, Chico. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Burri is a Democrat.

Yvonne de la Pena, of Elk Grove, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where she has served since 2001. De la Pena has been Executive Director of the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee since 1990. She was Assistant to the President at California Professional Firefighters from 1986 to 1990. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. De la Pena is a Democrat.

Richard Harris, of Villa Park, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where he has served since 2007. Harris has been President of the Residential Contractors Association since 1987. He held multiple positions at Wesseln Construction Company from 1965 to 2008, including General Superintendent and Apprentice Carpenter. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Harris is a Republican.

Sheri Learmonth, of San Leandro, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where she has served since 2021. Learmonth has been Chief Executive Officer of Bay Point Control Inc. since 2018. She was West Coast Division Controller for Sabah International from 2006 to 2018. She was Controller of Bay Point Control Inc. from 2002 to 2006. Learmonth was Staff Accountant for Sabah International from 2001 to 2002 and Full Charge Bookkeeper for Pacific Erectors Inc. from 1992 to 2001. Learmonth is a member of the Bay Area SMACNA Women in Construction. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Learmonth is a Republican.

Louis Ontiveros, of Riverside, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where he has served since 2019. Ontiveros has been Director of Training at Southwest Carpenters Training Trust since 2017. He was a Team Lead and Executive Board Member of the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters Local 944 from 2002 to 2017. Ontiveros was an Apprenticeship Instructor at Southwest Carpenters Training Trust from 1998 to 1999. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1985 to 1993. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Ontiveros is a Democrat.

Jason Rafter, of Nicolaus, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where he has served since 2021. Rafter has been Ironworkers Apprenticeship Director for I.E.B.C. since 2021 and was Apprenticeship Coordinator there from 2008 to 2021. He is a member of the American Welding Society. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Rafter is a Democrat.

Paul Von Berg, of Newport Beach, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where he has served since 2011. Von Berg retired as Executive Vice President of Brutoco Engineering and Construction Inc., where he worked from 1992 to 2012. He was Director of West Coast Operations at Park Construction from 1987 to 1992. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Von Berg is registered without party preference.

Priscilla de Luna, of Rancho Murieta, has been appointed Administrative Assistant II at the Office of Tax Appeals. De Luna has been an Executive Assistant III at Kaiser Permanente since 2019. She held several positions at Sacramento Ear Nose and Throat from 2015 to 2019, including Human Resources and Executive Assistant. De Luna was a Production Assistant and Performer at e2k events x entertainment from 2011 to 2017. She was a Special Education Paraprofessional at the Elk Grove Unified School District from 2012 to 2015 and at Advance Kids from 2011 to 2013. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $76,908. De Luna is a Democrat.

Nicole Clavo, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board. Clavo has been Manager of the Office of Violence Prevention for the City of Sacramento since 2020. She was a Labor Relations Field Rep. Negotiator for the California Correctional Peace Officers Association from 2005 to 2020. Clavo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Psychology and a Master of Science degree in Organizational Development from Springfield College. She earned a Doctor of Psychology degree in Organizational Development from Alliant International University. Clavo is a member of the National Crime Victim Law Institute, Voices for Victims and the Sacramento District Attorneys Alternative Sentence Council. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $350 per diem. Clavo is a Democrat.

Robert Doyle, of Novato, has been appointed to the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board. Doyle served on the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training from 2012 to 2022 and from 2006 to 2011. Doyle was Sheriff of Marin County from 1996 to 2022 and served in several positions at the Marin County Sheriffs Department from 1969 to 1996, including Undersheriff, Captain, Lieutenant Sergeant, and Deputy Sheriff. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $350 per diem. Doyle is a Democrat.

Joyce E. Dudley, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board. Dudley was Chair of the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training from 2016 to 2022 and a member there from 2013 to 2022. Dudley served as District Attorney of Santa Barbara County from 2010 to 2022. She was a Deputy District Attorney in the Santa Barbara County District Attorneys Office from 1990 to 2010. She was Director of Child Development Programs at the Community Action Commission of the County of Santa Barbara from 1984 to 1988 and Child Development Director at the Childrens Home Society of California from 1979 to 1984. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from Antioch University, a Master of Arts degree in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Juris Doctor degree from the Santa Barbara College of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $350 per diem. Dudley is a Democrat.

Diego Cartagena, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the California Access to Justice Commission, where he has served since 2021. Cartagena has been President and CEO of Bet Tzedek Legal Services since 2020, where he was Vice President of Legal Programs from 2017 to 2021 and Pro Bono Director from 2012 to 2017. Cartagena was Pro Bono Director at the Alliance for Childrens Rights from 2007 to 2012. He was a Family Law Attorney at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice from 2003 to 2007. Cartagena is a member of the California Access to Justice Legal Aid Funding Committee, Justice in Aging Board of Directors and the National Legal Aid & Defender Associations Civil Council. Cartagena earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Literature and Culture from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Cartagena is a Democrat.

Crystal L. Miller-OBrien, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the California Access to Justice Commission, where she has served since 2021. Miller-OBrien has been Of Counsel at Glaser Weil LLP since 2023. She has been a Panel Attorney for the California Office of Legislative Counsels Workplace Conduct Unit since 2019 and a Temporary Judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2016. She served on the California Law Revision Commission from 2011 to 2021. Miller-OBrien was an Employee Relations Advisor for Intuit Inc. from 2021 to 2022, Advice & Litigation Counsel at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP from 2020 to 2021, Director of Employee Relations at University Medical Partners in 2020, and Labor and Employment Law Department Manager and General Counsel at Medical Management Consultants Inc./MMC-HR LLC from 2006 to 2020. Miller-OBrien is a member of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Willamette University College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Psychology from Oberlin College. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Miller-OBrien is a Democrat.

Laura Lomeli, of Brea, has been appointed to the Sex Offender Management Board. Lomeli has been a Sexual Assault Detective for the Anaheim Police Department since 2019. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lomeli is a Democrat.

Alexandra Hart, of Montague, has been appointed to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Board. Hart has been a Senior Appraiser with LandVest Real Estate since 2022. She was an Appraiser with Yosemite Farm Credit, ACA from 2015 to 2022. Hart has been a member of the Appraisal Institute since 2015 and a member of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers since 2022. Hart earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness Management and Food Marketing from the University of Kentucky. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Hart is registered without party preference.

Alex Rodriguez, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Board. Rodriguez has been President of Diversity Consulting Group LLC since 1995. He is a member of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, La Cumbre Mutual Water Company and the U.S. EPA National Drinking Water Advisory Council. Rodriguez earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from Antioch University Santa Barbara. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Rodriguez is a Democrat.

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Governor Newsom Announces Appointments 3.30.23 | California ... - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

Twenty cars enter the arena, motors blasting and crowds cheering. Your hearts in your throat and butterflies are in your stomach, and as soon as they drop that green flag you know you're about to be in for the ride of your life.

This is how demolition derby driver Jason Sauer explained the feeling of being in a motorsport competition. Sauer, hails from Pennsylvania and has become nationally known for his spray painting talents and fine art sculptures. He is also the host of TrackShotLive on YouTube, which broadcasts live derby footage and averages about 100,000 views per weekend.

This year, Sauer has teamed up with Blane Williams, owner of Williams Enterprises LLC, to be a guest artist and host his show at the upcoming Spring Extreme Demolition Derby in Yuba City. This will be Sauers first time coming to Yuba City and hes excited to tour the area and learn more about its people. His goal is to give the spring derby more coverage and get more people interested in trying the sport.

It's one of the most exciting things you can do, said Sauer. In a way, it's very punk rock, it's very jazz, it's very rodeo, it's very American.

To further encourage participation, Sauer is introducing his own Most Wanted Fine Art (MWFA) Street Stock Class to the competition, a division created specifically for beginners or those with barriers to access.

All a person needs to get started is a little mechanical knowledge and any beater car, 1980s or newer. Start-up costs can usually be recouped by selling parts off the vehicle, such as its catalytic converter, and using the profits to modify the vehicle or cover an entry fee. Modifications include removing all the glass and plastic to avoid shards in the arena and relocating the battery and gas tank to be inside the vehicle. This helps limit the risk of fire and keeps two of the car's most important elements safe inside the cabin.

Often youll find competitors driving in reverse with the goal of smashing another car's front end with the back of their vehicle, explained Sauer. You want to try and keep your vehicle's front end safe for as long as possible.

Last vehicle left standing is declared the winner and there's usually a substantial pay out in accordance with the competitive level and class. For example, the MWFA Street Stock Class costs $150 to register with a pay out of $1,000 for first, $500 for second, $250 for third and $125 for fourth.

While the sport might seem a bit violent, Sauer said he hasn't seen anyone get killed and hes been doing derbies every weekend since 1992. Some of the biggest injuries hes witnessed include a broken foot, broken fingers, and maybe a bit of whiplash.

As an artist, Sauer specializes in painting derby cars and then using the wrecked pieces to forge into fine art sculptures.

I have an art opening in Southern California on April 7, said Sauer. So, what Im gonna do is stay in California for a week and Im gonna cut up one of these derby cars from Yuba City and build a sculpture out of it and take it down to the art gallery.

The event in Yuba City will mark the beginning of Sauers new MWFA season, a program he plans to replicate in Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and New York City.

For more information about the Spring Extreme derby event visit williamsentllc.com, and for more information on Sauers art, visit pittsburghartcar.com. The Spring Extreme derby will take place at the Yuba Sutter Fairgrounds in Yuba City starting at 9 a.m. on April 1 and 2. General admission starts at $30 for adults and $20 for children. The fairgrounds are located at 442 Franklin Ave. in Yuba City.

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The art of destruction | Features - Appeal-Democrat

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Top Democrat to accuse US regulators of allowing SVB to 'grow too big, too fast' - Financial Times

FIRST ON FOX: The Democratic candidate for Mississippi governor crashed Republican Gov. Tate Reeves tour of tornado damage to campaign after storms ravaged the state and killed at least 25 people.

Reeves, alongside other invited officials that included federal lawmakers and Biden administration officials, traveled to Rolling Fork, Mississippi, to survey the damage caused by the deadly tornado last week.

Democrat gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley and his campaign staff also traveled to Rolling Fork outside of his official constituency as Northern District commissioner where his campaign staff took pictures of him and posted them to his campaign Twitter account.

RECOVERY EFFORTS CONTINUE IN TORNADO RAVAGED MISSISSIPPI WHERE AT LEAST 25 WERE KILLED

Democrat Mississippi gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley's campaign staff take photos of him at the tornado survey that featured elected officials though he was not invited to attend, according to a source. (Fox News Digital)

"This morning, we toured Rolling Fork alongside [Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.,] and [Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas]," Presley wrote on his campaign Twitter account.

"The devastation here is beyond belief, but the resolve and toughness of the citizens of this town is even stronger," he continued. "#MississippiStrong."

According to a person who was on the scene as part of the states official response, Presley "was not invited to the survey by the official organizers."

"Local officials who were part of the response were confused and offended that he showed up to draw attention to himself," the source said. "He appeared to be talking with Congressman Bennie Thompson most of the time, and was likely tipped off by him about a good chance for a photo op."

"It was inappropriate, awkward and embarrassing for his campaign staff to be racing around catching photos while officials who are actually engaged in supporting Rolling Fork were trying to do their jobs," the source continued, noting Reeves "had no campaign staff there, and neither did any of the invited officials."

"The campaign staff identified themselves as a campaign official to a federal staffer who was bewildered why they were there," the source added.

According to a person who was on the scene as part of the states official response organized by Gov. Tate Reeves and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, Presley "was not invited to the survey by the official organizers." (Governor Tate Reeves)

The source also told Fox News Digital the "visit was organized and led by the Governors Office" and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and that Presley and his staff "hung around the official press conference looking like he was trying to insert himself into that, until staff directed him and other bystanders to stand with the press."

A spokesperson for the Republican Governors Association (RGA) blasted Presley for campaigning off the death and destruction of the tornadoes.

"At a time when the rest of the state has come together to focus on helping their neighbors, Brandon Presley is focused on his own political ambition," the spokesperson said.

"He should be better than this," they added.

Presley's campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

A spokesperson for the Republican Governors Association blasted Presley for campaigning off the death and destruction of the tornadoes. (Commissioner Brandon Presley Facebook)

The governor, meanwhile, has posted tornado recovery posts to his official Twitter account but has not posted anything to his Team Tate campaign account.

Help began pouring into one of the poorest regions of the U.S. after a deadly tornado tore a path of destruction for more than an hour across a long swath of Mississippi, even as furious new storms Sunday struck across the Deep South.

At least 25 people were killed and dozens of others were injured in Mississippi as the massive storm ripped through more than a half-dozen towns late Friday. A man was also killed in Alabama after his trailer home flipped over several times.

"Everything I can see is in some state of destruction," said Jarrod Kunze, who drove to the hard-hit Mississippi town of Rolling Fork from his home in Alabama, ready to help "in whatever capacity Im needed."

A vehicle awaits removal Saturday, March 25, 2023, after getting destroyed by a Friday night tornado that hit Rolling Fork, Mississippi. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Kunze was among volunteers working Sunday at a staging area, where bottled water and other supplies were being readied for distribution.

Search and recovery crews resumed the daunting task of digging through flattened and battered homes, commercial buildings and municipal offices after hundreds of people were displaced.

The storm hit so quickly that the sheriff's department in Rolling Fork barely had time to set off sirens to warn the community of 2,000 residents, said Mayor Eldridge Walker.

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"And by the time they initiated the siren, the storm had hit and it tore down the siren thats located right over here," Walker said, referring to an area just blocks from downtown.

The mayor said his town was devastated.

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Mississippi governor's tornado damage tour crashed by Democrat opponent: 'He should be better than this' - Fox News

An expected mass exodus from the New Jersey Legislature was formally set it motion Monday as the deadline arrived for Democrats and Republicans to file their candidacy for this years primary elections while another, stunning development was finalized.

Republican state Sen. Ed Durr, the once-little-known truck driver who made national headlines with a shocking upset over then-Senate President Stephen Sweeney two years ago, will face a GOP primary challenge from his former running mate in South Jerseys battleground 3rd legislative district.

State Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer, who joined Durr on a ticket in 2021 that also unseated Sweeneys two Democratic incumbent Assembly colleagues in a district that has gradually grown more red, is now running an off-the-line campaign to deny Durr the Republican nomination for a second term in the states June 6 primary.

It will be one of a few closely watched primaries as all 120 seats in the Legislature the body in Trenton that crafts New Jerseys laws and passes the state budget are on the ballot, slightly altered, in a redistricting year. In all, 258 people 135 Democrats and 123 Republicans filed petitions to run by Mondays 4 p.m. deadline.

READ THE FULL LIST OF SENATE PRIMARY CANDIDATES HERE

READ THE FULL LIST OF ASSEMBLY PRIMARY CANDIDATES HERE

Durr, one of the most conservative members of the Democratic-led Legislature, originally seemed headed for a primary against Salem County Commissioner Mickey Ostrum. But Ostrom recently dropped out after Durr secured party support in all three of the districts counties.

Sawyer, though, is among a group of Republicans who have grown disenchanted with Durr as Democrats gun to regain those seats. The district mates have reportedly feuded since taking office together.

While it was rumored she might wage a primary bid against Durr in the Legislatures upper chamber which she herself denied in December Sawyer initially sought to run again for her Assembly seat on Ostrums ticket. That scenario has flipped.

The results of last years election demonstrated that candidates do matter, Sawyer said in a statement Monday, apparently referencing how Republicans didnt perform as expected in the 2022 midterm elections, highlighting division in the GOP.

Ed Durr has proven himself unsuitable for office and will not be re-elected, she added. If we let him run in November, he will pull the entire Republican ticket down with him. I have too much invested in this community to allow that to happen. I am the only candidate who can defeat the Democrats.

Durr told NJ Advance Media on Monday he is focused on doing the things I need to do for the people who elected me and that hes grateful and happy to receive party support.

My team and I look forward to getting out on the campaign trail speaking to our constituents and earning their vote, again, he added.

The state redraws its legislative districts after a new U.S. Census every 10 years, though this years was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Democrats are trying to keep control of both the Senate and Assembly under the new map, while Republicans, two years after gaining seven seats across the Legislature, are aiming to take a least one chamber for the first time in two decades.

Like the 3rd district, there will also be a Republican primary in the neighboring and similarly competitive 4th, as the party seeks to flip the Senate seat that currently belongs to Democrat Fred Madden. Two candidates are running for the GOP nod: Gloucester County Commissioner Nicholas DeSilvio, who received party support in Camden and Gloucester counties, and former Washington Township Councilman Chris DelBorrello, who has party backing in Atlantic County.

Assemblyman Paul Moriarty is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination in that district, which also grew slightly more Republican in redistricting.

Meanwhile, a pair of veteran Essex County Democrats, state Sens. Richard Codey and Nia Gill, will both vie for their partys nod in North Jerseys 27th district after redistricting shifted Gill into that area. Whoever wins is likely to take Novembers general election, too, since the district is heavily Democratic.

Overall, this will be an election year of change. At least 22 sitting lawmakers will be gone come January, when the next Legislature is sworn in, either by retiring, getting squeezed out by redistricting, or seeking offices outside of the Statehouse. Another six are running to move up from the Assembly to the Senate.

That represents nearly a quarter of the Legislatures members, guaranteeing the biggest turnover and biggest crop of newcomers in Trenton since 2007.

Were gonna see a big new class, said Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University. Thats gonna mean a learning curve. And it will mean those who do have the institutional knowledge will have an advantage.

Thats in part because of redistricting, with some lawmakers choosing to leave because they were placed in a different district, their district became more competitive, or party leaders supported another candidate they believe has a better shot of winning.

This years number of departing lawmakers is higher than those in the states previous two redistricting cycles. In 2011, 14 either retired or sought another office. In 2001, the number was 16.

Rasmussen said a number of legislators are set to leave now because of age which he said is similar to the 2007 shakeup or family reasons.

Ben Dworkin, director of Rowan Universitys Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship, said you always expect there to be some new faces when you have a new map.

I think its always a good thing, Dworkin said. Youre losing a certain amount of experience, but turnover can also be healthy.

Experts say its possible these elections could also help make the Legislature more representative of New Jerseys diverse population. Currently, its largely white, male, and over 50 despite women making up 51% of the states population and white people making up 55%.

The new legislative map was the result of a rare redistricting compromise. Democrats see a path to keep their grip on both the 40-member Senate and 80-member Assembly, while Republicans see a shot to gain more ground in South Jersey where the 4th district, like the 3rd, has become more red and possibly elsewhere.

As for the contentious primaries? Each of the Senate contenders in the 3rd, 4th, and 27th districts have their own running mates seeking Assembly seats, as well.

While Sawyer ditched Durrs ticket in the 3rd, Durrs other running mate from the last election, Assemblywoman Bethanne McCarthy Patrick, is sticking with him. Hopewell Township Committeeman Thomas Tedesco has replaced Sawyer on Durrs slate.

Sawyer is running with one Assembly candidate: Joseph Collins Jr., the nephew of former Assembly Speaker Jack Collins. Sawyer said she will support McCarthy Patrick for the districts other Assembly seat.

On the Democratic side, Sweeney declined to run this year to regain his former Senate seat from Durr.

Instead, former Assemblyman John Burzichelli, a veteran lawmaker who was ousted alongside Sweeney by Durrs slate two years ago, is running for the Democratic nod. Burzichelli will face Mario DeSantis, a teacher, in the partys primary.

Sweeney is still expected to run for governor in 2025.

Rasmussen said the Durr-Sawyer race is one of those situations where if youre a local Republican, this is your time to capitalize on disarray on the other side.

But you cant do that because youve got disarray on your side, too, he added.

About an hour north, Codey, a former governor and the longest-serving legislator in New Jersey history, has the support of the local Democratic Party in the 27th district. He has been a lawmaker since 1974.

But hell face a primary challenge from Gill, whose hometown of Montclair was put into Codeys district. She has been a lawmaker since 1994.

Anytime you have two established incumbents facing off against each other, its going to be a very interesting race, Dworkin said. In these kinds of intra-party fights, it often comes down to who has more friends.

Whoever loses the Durr-Sawyer and Codey-Gill races will both be ousted from the Senate.

Though Sawyer and Gill are also incumbents, theyre likely to be the underdogs in their races. Its difficult in New Jersey to win a primary without your partys endorsement, known as the county line.

At the same time, former Assemblyman Craig Stanley, a Newark Democrat, will attempt a comeback to the Legislature 15 years after leaving office by running his own off-the-line campaign for Assembly in the 27th district.

In North Jerseys redrawn 25th district, Republican incumbents Brian Bergen and Jay Webber will have a primary challenge from former Assemblywoman Bettylou DeCroce, who is trying to return to the chamber two years after being bounced from office.

One other Senate race of note: Former Congressman Michael Pappas, a Republican, launched a rematch against Sen. Andrew Zwicker, D-Middlesex, in Central Jerseys competitive 16th district. Pappas lost to Zwicker in 2021.

In all, 17 lawmakers seven in the Senate, 10 in the Assembly are not running for re-election and will instead retire:

Three lawmakers are seeking a post outside of Trenton:

(Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, D-Essex, was appointed last week to the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield board or directors.)

Six lawmakers are running to move from the Assembly up to the Senate:

All other incumbents are seeking another term.

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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @johnsb01.

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Truck driver who scored huge upset over top N.J. Democrat in 2021 faces GOP primary challenge - NJ.com