As New Jersey prepares for the gubernatorial election, there is also a campaign for Assembly District 2 occurring on November 4, 2025. The position is currently held by Republican candidates Don Guardian and Claire Swift; their civic duty is to help create state laws and pass bills in the majority of Atlantic County. The 2025 candidates are Guardian and Swift, who will be running for another term, and Democratic representatives, Maureen Rowan and Joanne Famularo. 

On behalf of William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University and The Press of Atlantic City, one of the debates for the ongoing election was held in the Campus Center Theatre on Tuesday, October 21 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event, which was both open to the public and live-streamed, asked the candidates the public’s questions regarding issues in South Jersey. Each candidate was given a one minute response, and if mentioned by name, a thirty-second rebuttal. The questions covered a wide variety of topics, including but limited to the following: cost of living, energy policies, taxes and property tax relief, unemployment, casinos, homelessness, beach protection, and New Jersey Transit. 

After two terms, Guardian and Swift intend that upon reelection, their goals are to provide direct funding for the Atlantic City Boardwalk, expand funding for AtlantiCare, and to put South Jersey first. Regarding this, Guardian wants to “[address] all these issues […] and with your support, we’d like to continue that for the next two years.”

He works with Swift for policies and prioritizes as follows: working with the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to lower utility costs, giving more funding to schools, continuing state oversight of finances, supporting law enforcement, banning smoking from casinos, increasing AtlantiCare funding to help the homeless and nursing programs, and raising roads and homes to prevent damage from rising water levels. 

Famularo intends that if elected, she will get “back to the basics to rolling up our sleeves.” She remarks, “Doing the hard work that people expect you to do is what’s going to make Atlantic County a much better place for everyone to live and to enjoy.”

She wants to make progress and focus on local issues such as property reliefs, fully funding schools, and to better fix the shores by creating better opportunities in Atlantic County. Her arguments in response to some of questions asked include: working with the Environmental Protective Agency (EPA) to have nuclear sites produce no energy with reduced rates and costs, shared services to lower property taxes, allowing casino dealers to decide if they allow smoking in casinos, opening up hotels for the homeless to have a permanent address and to “get the job done.” 

Lastly, Rowan, a retired trial attorney and law firm operator, wants to bring her over thirty-five years of practice to tackle issues like the cost of living and bringing people together on opposite sides of issues. Her takeaways on how to help Atlantic City include addressing data centers that make the cost of energy so high, attracting more businesses that generate income to lower the property tax burden, and allowing for independent studies to determine the smoking ban in casinos.

Likewise, Rowan believes that “[we] need to have more homeless shelters, we have to encourage the homeless to accept wraparound services, such as mental health, drug help, whatever they need.” As for climate change, Rowan said, “I will be able to successfully advocate for policies that will lower energy bills, that will make housing affordable and attainable, and that will expand property tax relief.” 

For more information on the candidates and voting on November 4, 2025, visit Ballotpedia. Or, click here to learn more about District 2 and here to learn more about New Jersey legislature.