By Charles W. Kim, Packet Media Group
For two state Assembly candidates on opposite sides of the political aisle, its déjà vu all over again.
Democrat Marie Corfield, a Flemington teacher, said Sunday night that she is running in the race for the third consecutive time, hoping to unseat Republican incumbents Donna Simon and Jack Ciattarelli, in the 16th Legislative District.
”The third time’s a charm,” Ms. Corfield replied to a Twitter message asking if she would seek the seat once again.
Ms. Corfield responded from a gathering of Democrats in Princeton, where gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono joined her and U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, D-12.
Assemblywoman Simon defeated Ms. Corfield in November by slightly more than 1,000 votes. Ms. Corfield and 2011 running mate Joe Camarota, a South Brunswick Township councilman, lost to Mr. Ciattarelli and incumbent Assemblyman Peter Biondi, who died just two days after the election.
The Democratic pair came within 2,000 votes of winning a seat in that election.
Republicans in the four counties of the newly formed district gathered in the winter of 2012 to appoint Ms. Simon to the late Mr. Biondi’s seat.
Ms. Simon then faced Ms. Corfield for the rest of the unexpired term in November.
The district was re-configured following the 2010 Census and gained an estimated 5,000 Democratic voters by adding Princeton and South Brunswick to what had been a fairly solid Republican stronghold.
The 16th District covers Branchburg Township, Hillsborough Township, Manville Borough, Millstone Borough, Montgomery Township, Rocky Hill Borough and Somerville Borough in Somerset County; Delaware Township, Flemington Borough, Raritan Township, Readington Township and Stockton Borough in Hunterdon County; Princeton Borough and Princeton Township in Mercer County; and South Brunswick Township in Middlesex County.
In the November election, Ms. Simon easily won Hunterdon County and topped Ms. Corfield by a solid margin in Somerset County.
Ms. Corfield, however, easily won South Brunswick and dominated in Princeton by taking 75 percent of the vote in that community.
Ms. Simon said Monday that she is aware of the rematch and plans to fight very hard in this year’s campaign, which features Republican Gov. Chris Christie at the top of the ticket.
”I will continue to work diligently with the governor on tax relief and jobs,” Ms. Simon said. “We fought very hard in the last election and we will fight even harder in this one.”
Even though she is facing her second campaign in as many years, Ms. Simon said she will continue to work with both parties in the Legislature to find more ways to cut state spending and create jobs.
According to state election finance records, Ms. Simon outspent Ms. Corfield by about a 4-1 margin in the last election cycle with more than $400,000 spent on the campaign compared to Ms. Corfield at around $100,000.

