SOUTH BRUNSWICK — After an extremely tight race, Andrew Zwicker has been confirmed as the winner of a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly from District 16.
As of Nov. 9, Zwicker received 16,308 votes to oust Assemblywoman Donna Simon, a Republican, who drew 16,230 votes.
Zwicker, a Democrat from South Brunswick, joined the political race to “build a brighter future for New Jersey residents.”
“With its economy flagging and its infrastructure crumbling, New Jersey is at a crossroads. We cannot continue down this path, making decisions based on politics and a short-term view,” he said on his website, Zwicker for Assembly.
Zwicker’s priorities include making New Jersey affordable so that residents remain in the state.
“As a scientist and a teacher, I understand that New Jersey has a rich history of manufacturing, innovation and education and that investing in these is key to our long-term economic growth. When we invest in high-tech startups and small businesses that create high quality, 21st-century jobs, we are investing in our future and our growing middle class,” he said.
Zwicker said he wants to make it easier for small businesses to succeed by removing government regulations that cause more harm than good, and he believes in the importance of technical education, retraining the unemployed and investment in research universities so that residents can compete in a knowledge-dependent economy.
“I want to make college more affordable so that everyone, regardless of income, has the opportunity to receive a high quality education,” he said.
The environment is also an important topic of focus, especially as related to job growth.
“The growth in sustainable clean sources of energy is already creating jobs and fostering new innovation in our universities,” he said. “We must support these innovations and jobs with policies that promote growth and make New Jersey a leader in new technologies.”
Zwicker graduated from Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood and received his Bachelor of Arts in physics from Bard College and his master’s degree and Ph.D., both in physics, from Johns Hopkins University.
His post-doctoral work focused on fusion energy research at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and internationally.
He is currently the head of science education at the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. He serves as a faculty adviser at Princeton University for freshmen and sophomores. He is an academic-athletic fellow for the women’s soccer team, a part-time lecturer in the Princeton University Writing Program and president of the Princeton Chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society.
Zwicker is also the editor for the “Physics and Society” newsletter, a publication from the American Physical Society, where he is a fellow.
The American Association of Physics Teachers named Zwicker one of the country’s top 75 “Leading Contributors” to physics education.
He managed a $1 million annual budget and a diverse staff over the years. Recently, he helped spearhead a public-private partnership focused on developing green energy.