Claire Swift (born June 9, 1974) is an American Republican Party politician who has represented 2nd Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since taking office on January 11, 2022.
Early life and education
A 1992 graduate of Atlantic City High School, Swift earned her undergraduate degree in 1996 from the University of Pennsylvania and was granted a degree in law from Widener University Delaware Law School in 1999. She was a Deputy Attorney General in New Jersey until 2003, when she joined her family law firm.[1]
Elective office
Together with her running mates incumbent Senator Vincent J. Polistina and former Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, Swift was elected in a Republican sweep of the district that flipped both Assembly seats from the Democrats in the 2021 New Jersey General Assembly election.[2]
Swift was one of a record seven new Republican Assemblywomen elected in the 2022 general election, joining seven Republican women incumbents who won re-election that year.[3]
Committees
Committee assignments for the current session are:[4]
- Human Services
- Labor
- Law and Public Safety
District 2
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.[5] The representatives from the 2nd District for the 2024—25 Legislative Session are:[6]
- Senator Vincent J. Polistina (R)
- Assemblyman Don Guardian (R)
- Assemblyman Claire Swift (R)
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Don Guardian (incumbent) | 26,675 | 28.8 | |
| Republican | Claire Swift (incumbent) | 25,460 | 27.5 | |
| Democratic | Elizabeth "Lisa" Bender | 20,547 | 22.2 | |
| Democratic | Alphonso Harrell | 19,835 | 21.4 | |
| Total votes | 92,517 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Claire Swift | 31,818 | 26.81% | |
| Republican | Don Guardian | 31,640 | 26.66% | |
| Democratic | John Armato (incumbent) | 28,094 | 23.67% | |
| Democratic | Caren Fitzpatrick | 27,127 | 22.86% | |
| Total votes | 118,679 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
References
- ^ Attorney Profiles, Swift Law Firm. Accessed January 10, 2022. "Claire obtained her Juris Doctor of Law from the Widener School of Law in 1999. Claire earned her Bachelor of Art in International Relations Degree and History Minor from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996. Claire graduated from Atlantic City High School in 1992. Claire lives in Margate, New Jersey with her husband and 3 children."
- ^ Fox, Joey. "Polistina, Guardian, Swift win in the 2nd district", New Jersey Globe, November 2, 2021. Accessed January 10, 2022. "The New Jersey Globe is projecting that State Sen.-elect Vince Polistina (R-Egg Harbor), former Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, and former Deputy Attorney General Claire Swift – all Republicans – have won election to the 2nd legislative district. Polistina defeated Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo (D-Northfield) to retain the Senate seat for his party, while Guardian and Swift beat Assemblyman John Armato (D-Buena Vista) and Atlantic County Commissioner Caren Fitzpatrick to flip both seats from Democratic to Republican."
- ^ DiFilippo, Dana. "A record-setting election for Republican women in N.J.", New Jersey Monitor, November 8, 2021. Accessed January 10, 2022. "Indeed, it was a record-setting year for Republican women, with voters last week electing as many as seven female GOP newcomers to the Assembly — the most ever, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University (the Associated Press has still not called some of the races). The previous record was four in 2007, said Debbie Walsh, the center’s director.... Seven other incumbent Republican women held onto seats in the Legislature, as well."
- ^ Assemblywoman Claire S. Swift, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed April 10, 2022.
- ^ New Jersey State Constitution 1947 (Updated Through Amendments Adopted in November, 2020): Article IV, Section II, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 28, 2022.
- ^ Legislative Roster for District 2, 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.