Burzichelli claws back state Senate seat for Dems in South Jersey's heated third district

South Jersey's starring role in this year's state Legislature elections came down to the wire.

And much like the 2021 3rd Legislative District Senate race, it ended with a new senator.

The Associated Press called the closely watched battle for Democrat John Burzichelli, the Paulsboro resident and longtime former assemblyman, over first-term Republican Sen. Edward Durr of Swedesboro.

Vote results from Tuesday are still unofficial for now but the slight Burzichelli margin appeared to be enough for a win. There had been no concession from Durr as of the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Durr faced a strong opponent in Burzichelli, a longtime fixture in the General Assembly before his unexpected loss in the 2021 election. His close friend, former Senate President Stephen Sweeney, lost in the same election but stood aside to Burzichelli this year.

On Tuesday night, Sweeney, who might be eyeing a Drumthwacket run, was confident enough about the outstanding votes to celebrate Burzichelli as the winner as well as Democratic performances in the competitive 4th District races.

Sweeney indicated the Democratic focus on "women's issues," specifically abortion, paid off.

"I am thankful that the voters in the 3rd District recognize the need to vote for people who believe in respecting women and believe in respecting a woman’s right to choose," Sweeney said. "Furthermore, these (vote) results recognize the success of our efforts to continue to enact policies that will create jobs and make New Jersey affordable, competitive and prosperous for all of our citizens."

Burzichelli clutched an unofficial 3,773-vote advantage, with 30,899 votes to Durr's 27,116. The next steps will be to certify the results county by county, which could take weeks.

The 3rd District race saw a heavy use of mail. The final flurry focused on Durr taking anti-women abortion positions, while Burzichelli was hoisted in turn for his support of sex education and counseling for public school students.

More: What ballot questions will South Jersey voters decide?

More: It's almost election day, but voting opens even sooner

A late-breaking issue for voters was the collapse of the off-shore wind turbine project partnership New Jersey Democrats have pushed with foreign “green energy” developer Orsted. The company recently announced it was pulling out of its agreement and is pushing to avoid paying the state hundreds of millions of dollars.

Durr has opposed the off-shore wind program. Burzichelli is an original sponsor and remains a supporter. The 3rd District was supposed to be a major beneficiary of the Orsted deal in terms of jobs.

The 3^rd District covers all of Salem County, most of western Cumberland County, and a good area of Gloucester County. Republicans captured both General Assembly seats and the Senate seat, at a time when Sweeney was president of the upper body, here in 2021 to end nearly a generation of Democrat control.

Durr ran with only one of his 2021 running mates, Assemblywoman Bethanne McCarthy-Patrick. Durr and Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer had fallen out, and she lost a primary challenge in June to Durr. Cumberland County resident Tom Tedesco replaced Sawyer for this election.

Gloucester County Board of Commissioners Deputy Director Heather Simmons and political newcomer Dave Bailey Jr. are teamed with Burzichelli. They, too, appear to have won their races.

Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.

Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Support local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Sweeny, ousted by Ed Durr in 2021, celebrates Burzichelli win in third