By FRED J. AUN
ROXBURY, NJ – Mendham resident Aura Dunn was sworn-in Monday to the 25th District state Assembly seat that represents Roxbury, a position formerly held by Anthony M. Bucco.
Dunn, who lost a June Republican primary challenge to Bucco and Brian Bergen, was elected to the Assembly seat Nov. 21 in a special county GOP convention. The seat became open when Bucco was chosen by the party to fill the Senate seat vacated when his father, Anthony R. Bucco, died in September.
Dunn will serve for seven weeks, the remainder of Anthony M. Bucco’s prior term in the Assembly. Bucco won re-election to the Assembly slot on Nov. 5 even though he was, by Election Day, already a state Senator.
The GOP will decide early next year whether Dunn gets to stay in the position as Bucco's replacement. The fact that Dunn widely outdistanced her rivals in last Thursday's convention vote indicates she is likely to be picked to remain.
“I’m here to fight back against Governor Murphy’s reckless tax-and-spend policies,” said Dunn in a statement. “We have to stand up for the families who can no longer afford to live here, the businesses who can’t afford to expand here and taxpayers who are drowning under the Democrats. It has to end, and I will not stop until it does.”
Dunn was an aide to former U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen. She currently serves on the Morris Habitat for Humanity board of directors, the Morris County Mental Health Addictions Services advisory board and the Mendham Borough Planning Board.
Bucco, who is Roxbury’s township attorney, said he was “excited to be joined by Aura Dunn in representing the 25th Legislative District in Trenton.”
He said Dunn has “years of hands-on experience in public policy” that will be beneficial. “Aura knows the issues that matter most to the people we serve in Morris County and beyond,” Bucco said. “I have no doubt she’ll hit the ground running after her swearing-in today.”
Bucco pointed out that Dunn joins a record number of women in the Legislature.
“It’s great to have a strong Republican woman from Morris County serving in the Legislature,” he added. “Aura’s swearing-in today marks the most women serving in the history of the Legislature. Having a diversity of viewpoints represented in the State House, including those of conservative women, is a great thing for New Jersey. It keeps the Legislature from becoming an echo chamber and ensures that everyone’s voices are heard.”