Andrew Zwicker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theNew Jersey Senate from the16th district | |
| Assumed office January 11, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Kip Bateman |
| Member of theNew Jersey General Assembly from the16th district | |
| In office January 12, 2016 – January 11, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Donna Simon |
| Succeeded by | Sadaf Jaffer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1964-05-17)May 17, 1964 (age 61) New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | Bard College (BS) Johns Hopkins University (MS,PhD) |
| Website | State Senate website |
Andrew P. Zwicker (born May 17, 1964) is an American physicist and politician who has served in theNew Jersey Senate from the16th Legislative District since 2022. He previously served in theNew Jersey General Assembly representing the 16th District from 2016 to 2022. Zwicker was a candidate for theUnited States House of Representatives inNew Jersey's 12th congressional district in 2014.
He is a member of theDemocratic Party as well as the head of the Science Education Department of thePrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory. He has been described as aprotégé of former RepresentativeRush Holt Jr.[1]
Zwicker was born inNew York City. Raised inEnglewood, New Jersey, where he graduated fromDwight Morrow High School in 1982, he went on to achieve his B.A. inphysics fromBard College in 1986, and hisM.A. and Ph.D., both also in physics, fromJohns Hopkins University in 1992. His dissertation was entitled "Soft X-Ray Spectroscopy of Magnetically Confined Fusion Plasmas Using Flat Multilayer Mirrors as Dispersive Elements".[2] Zwicker's post-doctoral work focused on fusion energy research at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, atOak Ridge National Laboratory, and internationally.
Zwicker resides inPrinceton, New Jersey.[3][4] He is anatheist.[5]
He has been the head of the Science Education Department of thePrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory[6] since 2003, where his work is focused on creating innovative opportunities for students of all backgrounds to engage in scientific inquiry and his research is centered on plasmas as an educational tool and new methods of science communication. At Princeton University, Zwicker was previously a part-time lecturer in the Writing Program[7] and a faculty advisor for freshmen and sophomores inRockefeller College.[8] Zwicker has served on several national committees on education, is a Fellow of theAmerican Physical Society, and TheAmerican Association of Physics Teachers has named him to its list of 75 leading contributors to physics education. He was the Editor of the APS Forum on Physics and Society's newsletter and a past chair of that Forum.[9] Additionally, he is a past member of the APS Committee on Education.[10] In 2006, Zwicker and a collaborator won the university's Art of Science competition for a photograph entitled "Plasma Table"[11] and was for several years afterwards a co-organizer of the event.
Zwicker has published in both science and education journals, and has also appeared at numerous lectures and on television.
His publications include:
Zwicker ran for the Democratic nomination for theUnited States House of Representatives in the12th Congressional District. He was seeking election to the seat then held byRush D. Holt Jr., who announced on February 18 that he would not seek re-election in the 2014 cycle.[16] He finished fourth of the four candidates in the Democraticprimary election held on June 3 (AssemblywomanBonnie Watson Coleman won the primary and general elections), but impressed and gained support from party leaders to lead Zwicker to run for Assembly.[17]
He and his running mate Maureen Vella ran as Democrats in the historically-Republican dominated16th Legislative District. Three days after the election, the race for the second seat elected between Zwicker and incumbent Republican AssemblywomanDonna Simon was considered "too close to call." The other incumbent Republican Assemblyman,Jack Ciattarelli, had finished far enough ahead in first place to be ensured a victory. Zwicker had a 29-vote lead over Simon with some provisional ballots remaining to be counted.[18][19] On November 9, 2015, the final provisional ballots were counted, with Zwicker finishing with a 78-vote lead over Simon.[20] On November 16, Simon conceded the race to Zwicker and Republican officials stated that no recount will be requested.[21] He became the first Democrat ever elected to the district in its 42-year history, albeit in a more Democratic form than it had prior to redistricting thanks to the addition of the liberal university town of Princeton.[22]
In the November 2017 general election, with Republican incumbent Jack Ciattarelli leaving the Assembly in his unsuccessful run for the republican gubernatorial nomination, Zwicker (with 34,233 votes; 27.2% of all ballots cast) and his running mate, newcomerRoy Freiman (32,714; 26.0%), defeated Republican challengers Mark Caliguire (29,041; 23.1%) andDonna Simon (29,674; 23.6%) to win both Assembly seats from the district for the Democrats for the first time in district history.[23][24]
Zwicker and Freiman beat Mark Caliguire again, and newcomer Christine Madrid, by a convincing margin Preserving the seat for Democrats for another two years and being the first time that two Democrats were re-elected as Assembly Members for the 16th district.
On December 2, 2020, Zwicker announced he would run for the 16th district State Senate seat. The incumbentKip Bateman announced his retirement, making the seat an open race.[25] He was challenged by former CongressmanMike Pappas. Despite the election cycle being a loss for Democrats, Zwicker was able to win the seat and be the only flip from a Republican seat, to a Democrat seat in 2021.
Andrew Zwicker was again challenged in a rematch byMike Pappas. The race was noted by theNew Jersey Globe as one of the most competitive in the state. Despite this, Zwicker won by a convincing margin of 14.5% points holding the seats for Democrats for the next 4 years.[26]
Committee assignments for the2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[27]
Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in theNew Jersey Senate and two members in theNew Jersey General Assembly.[28] The representatives from the 16th District for the2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[29]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bonnie Watson Coleman | 15,603 | 43.0 | |
| Democratic | Linda R. Greenstein | 10,089 | 27.8 | |
| Democratic | Upendra J. Chivukula | 7,890 | 21.8 | |
| Democratic | Andrew Zwicker | 2,668 | 7.4 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Andrew Zwicker (incumbent) | 34,693 | 56.5 | |
| Republican | Michael Pappas | 25,839 | 42.0 | |
| Libertarian | Richard J. Byrne | 922 | 1.5 | |
| Total votes | 61,454 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Andrew Zwicker | 41,837 | 53.32 | |
| Republican | Michael Pappas | 36,632 | 46.68 | |
| Total votes | 78,469 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Andrew Zwicker | 26,280 | 27.85 | |
| Democratic | Roy Freiman | 25,077 | 26.58 | |
| Republican | Mark Caliguire | 21,606 | 22.9 | |
| Republican | Christine Madrid | 21,387 | 22.67 | |
| Total votes | 94,350 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Andrew Zwicker | 34,233 | 27.2 |  2.2 | |
| Democratic | Roy Freiman | 32,714 | 26.0 | 1.4 | |
| Republican | Donna Simon | 29,674 | 23.6 |  1.3 | |
| Republican | Mark Caliguire | 29,041 | 23.1 | 2.3 | |
| Total votes | '125,662' | '100.0' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jack Ciattarelli | 16,577 | 25.4 | 2.9 | |
| Democratic | Andrew Zwicker | 16,308 | 25.03 | 2.9 | |
| Republican | Donna Simon | 16,230 | 24.91 | 2.9 | |
| Democratic | Maureen Vella | 16,043 | 24.6 | 3.8 | |
| Total votes | '65,158' | '100.0' | |||