Democrats in New Jersey’s 30th Legislative District have all but conceded one Assembly seat to Republican incumbent Sean Kean, shifting their efforts toward ensuring the re-election of Assemblyman Avi Schnall.
The decision comes after Democrat Claire Deicke, the 82-year-old former Belmar council president, withdrew from the race. Deicke had been serving as a placeholder while party leaders weighed whether to mount a two-seat challenge. Instead, Democrats have nominated Joanne DeBenedicts, a 75-year-old retired public school teacher from Belmar, to run alongside Schnall.
Kean, 62, appeared vulnerable earlier in the year, but Democratic strategists have now chosen not to target him. A veteran legislator, Kean has served in the Assembly, the State Senate, and again in the Assembly following redistricting. His constituent work in Lakewood—particularly with the Orthodox Jewish community—has helped him avoid friction in the most populous town in the district, solidifying his standing.
In 2023, Kean easily defeated Democrat Sal Frascino, a former Jersey City police detective, by nearly 29,000 votes. He received 37,450 votes, while Frascino garnered just 8,868.
Instead, Democrats are concentrating their resources on Schnall’s re-election bid. Schnall rocked New Jersey’s political landscape in 2023 when he unseated then-Assemblyman Ned Thomson, 72, a former Wall mayor and member of the Assembly GOP leadership. Schnall secured 29,482 votes to Thomson’s 18,076, despite entering the race only in late August.
That victory marked a historic break in the district’s voting patterns. The 30th has long been a Republican stronghold—backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli by 28 points in 2021—and had not elected a Democrat since 1992.
That balancing act will now be tested again in Schnall’s rematch with Thomson in November.