Article by Kevin Coughlin
Republicans and Democrats may fight like cats and dogs in Washington. But everything is hunky dory in Morristown.
At least it was on Friday, when members of both parties welcomed Republican state Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-25th Dist.) to her new district office in the solidly Democratic seat of Morris County.
Mayor Tim Dougherty, a Democrat, praised Dunn for showing up at local events and said she sets a good example for the nation.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a D or an R. It’s about getting things done for everyone. And I think that’s what this assemblywoman brings to the table,” said Dougherty.
Admiring Dunn’s spacious digs at 60 Washington St., the four-term mayor quipped that maybe he would run for state assembly. He quickly walked back the joke.
“I couldn’t beat her,” Dougherty said with a grin.
Dunn relocated from her Chester office because redistricting placed that municipality into District 24. Dougherty said he was glad she left “the boonies” for Morristown.
The assemblywoman described Morristown as an ideal location.
Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-25th Dist.), in green blazer, listens to benediction at her new Morristown office, Jan. 3, 2024.
“It’s going to be more accessible for folks, and really that’s what I want to make sure, that I’m responsive and accessible to all my constituents. So really, it’s an open house today, but every day is an open door for District 25,” said the Mendham Borough resident, who posed for pictures with well-wishers from Blue and Red camps.
Guests included state Sen. Anthony M Bucco, Assemblyman Chris Barranco and Morris Sheriff James Gannon, all Republicans. Morris Township Mayor Donna Guariglia, Morristown Council President Nathan Umbriac and Fourth Ward Councilman Chris Russo were among Democrats in attendance.
Dunn won’t need much time to find her way around. From 2016 to 2019, she worked just around the corner from her new office, as district director for then-Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.).
She honed her ability to deal with people of all political stripes during that turbulent period, when activists angered by the moderate Congressman’s right-ward shift staged weekly demonstrations at his Morristown office.
Entering her sixth year in the Assembly, Dunn said her priorities are promoting the well being of kids through the Children, Family and Food Security committee, and advocating for good governance and transparency as a member of the budget committee.
Dunn voted against last spring’s bill that gutted New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act.
In 2023, she opposed the “Election Transparency Act,” a bill blasted by good government groups for weakening pay-to-play laws and increasing the governor’s sway over the commission tasked with policing campaign contributions.
Dunn said she will push for passage of her Welcome Home Veterans Act, which seeks to make New Jersey more veteran-friendly.
Her introduction to politics came in 1995, as a House staffer at the Capitol in Washington DC. She moved to the Senate side in 1999 and worked as a budget analyst for three years.
Dunn has a degree in sociology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a master’s in public administration from George Washington University.
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