9th District Sen. Christopher Connors Will Not Seek Re-Election

TRENTON, NJ — After 33 years, New Jersey State Sen. Christopher Connors has announced he will not seek re-election.

"It has been the greatest honor of my professional life to serve the people of the 9th Legislative District," Connors said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. "However, after thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to seek re-election to the State Legislature after 33 years of service. This was certainly a difficult decision, but I feel in my heart that this is the right time to step aside, especially as running for re-election would require serving a four-year term."

"I can take comfort in fulfilling my final year in the Senate knowing that I served my constituents to the best of my ability, always placing their best interests and good governance before partisan politics or special interest agendas," Connors said.

He said he would miss his working relationships with other elected officials, particularly his 9th District Legislative colleagues, Assemblyman Brian Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove, "who are dedicated, compassionate, and highly effective public servants who have earned the enduring respect of both their constituents and fellow elected officials," Connors said.

Connors also paid tribute to his late father, Sen. Leonard T. Connors, Jr., "for consistently instilling in me the qualities of a dedicated public servant, that begins with being responsive to and respectful of the people you were elected to represent."

Connors was first elected to the Lacey Township Committee in 1984 and served as Mayor from 1986 to 1990. From 1982 to 1988, he was Deputy Director of the New Jersey Commission on Capital Budgeting and Planning and served as its Director during 1988 and 1989.

As for his legislative service, Connors was selected by the Republican County Committee members and was sworn to the General Assembly on September 28, 1989. He was elected to his first full term in the Assembly in November of 1989, and was reelected in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005. Connors served as Assistant Majority Leader 1992-95.

In 2007, Connors was elected to the Senate and was re-elected in 2011, 2013, 2017, and 2021. He was consistently among the highest vote-getters in state legislative elections during his legislative service, according to the statement. Presently, Connors serves as a ranking member of the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee and the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.