KZG's Trish Zita Featured in U.S. 1 Newspaper
  

Kaufman Zita Group Principal Trish Zita was recently featured in a U.S. 1 Newspaper article on how she got her start as a lobbyist and how she helped pave the way for women in NJ politics and government.

"If you're a woman, and you're considering a career in politics in Trenton, you have Patrizia Zita to thank for help clearing the path," writes Diccon Hyatt of U.S. 1 Newspaper. "When Zita became a lobbyist in the early 1990s, she was one of the very few women in her profession."

 From a young age, Trish's parents, a cabinetmaker and a seamstress who emigrated from Italy to Hamilton, NJ, instilled in her and her sister a sense of responsibility and helping others. With a foundation in civic responsibility, Trish completed her undergraduate studies in political science at Syracuse University's Utica College and took her first job as a legislative aide in the New York General Assembly in Albany.

"I didn't start out planning to lobby," she tells Hyatt. "Like a lot of young people, I started out wanting to make the world a better place and to do something important, so I got into government."

Soon after, she returned to her home state of New Jersey to work with the Speaker of the New Jersey Assembly Joe Doria and later left state government to represent the interests of the Chemical Industry Council of New Jersey. She returned to school to earn her master's degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

In 2007, Trish joined Adam Kaufman in forming lobbying firm Kaufman Zita Group. In creating Kaufman Zita Group, writes Hyatt, Adam and Trish reversed the typical political gender balance with six women and four men on staff.

"Politics was and continues to be a male-dominated profession," Trish tells Hyatt. "The difficult part was developing relationships with an almost all-male legislature and being taken seriously as a woman who had an opinion about policy and politics. I figured out early I couldn't just say smart things, I had to do smart things and prove myself. I showed up and did my homework. Eventually people realized I was credible, trusted me, and would seek out my opinion."

For more on Trish or to read the full story, click here.

Eighty legislative seats will be up for the taking in the State Assembly this November, and the political battle begins this June with the primaries. Over 170 candidates filed their nominating petitions on Monday, March 30th, to participate in the June 2nd primaries.

With all 80 legislative seats up for grabs in the General Assembly this election year, several districts are expected to experience contested primaries this year:

• In Union County's contentious 20th district, Elizabeth school board member Tony Montero will run with Giuliano Farino against Democratic incumbents Annette Quijano and Jamel Holley. Jorge Batista and Vivian Bell have also filed to run.

• Meanwhile, in New Jersey's 24th district, which covers Sussex and parts of Morris and Warren counties, Republican incumbent Parker Space is running with Sussex County Freeholder Gail Phoebus against Nathan Orr and former Green Township Mayor Marie Bilik. The district will have an open seat following the departure of Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, who assumed a new post as business administrator of Franklin Borough earlier this year and has chosen not to seek re-election.

• The Republican primary race in District 40, which encompasses parts of Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic counties, will match incumbents David Russo and Scott Rumana against challengers John Capo and Joseph Bubba Jr., the son of former state Sen. Joseph Bubba.

In total, seven members of the General Assembly will not be seeking re-election in November: Jason O'Donnell (D-31), Charles Mainor (D-31), Carmelo Garcia (D-33), Gilbert "Whip" Wilson (D-5), Christopher J. Brown (R-8), Linda Stender (D-22) and Alison Littell McHose (R-24).

Hudson County, in particular, will see several new faces in the coming election, as three incumbents have indicated they will not pursue another term.

• In Hudson County's 31st legislative district, which includes Bayonne and southern Jersey City, Nicholas Chiaravalloti and Angela McKnight are expected to take the Democratic ticket. They would replace the district's incumbent Assemblymen, Charles Mainor and Jason O'Donnell, who chose not to seek re-election.

• Hudson County is also expected to see a change in its 33rd legislative district, where Democratic incumbent Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia has decided not to seek re-election. Annette Chaparro of Hoboken is expected to fill his seat.

A special Senate election will also take place in November, in South Jersey's 5th legislative district. Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D), who was appointed to fill the remainder of Donald Norcross's term following his election to the U.S. House of Representatives, will seek election to a full term in the State Senate. She is running uncontested in the primary.

A comprehensive list of all candidates who filed petitions to run in the June Primary can be found on the Division of Elections' website.

Meet the New Lawmaker:

Assemblywoman Elizabeth Maher Muoio (D-15)

In this month's installment of our "Meet the New Legislator" series, we introduce you to Assemblywoman Elizabeth Maher Muoio, who was tapped by Mercer and Hunterdon County Democrats in January to fill the Assembly seat left empty following the departure of U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman - who, in turn, was elected to Congress and will serve as the state's first African-American congresswoman.

Assemblywoman Elizabeth Maher Muoio (D-15)

Muoio, a Pennington native, served as a Pennington Borough Councilwoman from 1997 to 2001, when she won election to the Mercer County freeholder board. In 2004, she was named Freeholder Board President.

In 2008, she took on a new role - as Director of the Mercer County Department of Economic Development and Sustainability, where she continues to serve under County Executive Brian Hughes.

In 2010, Mercer County Democratic party officials elected Muio to serve as Chair of the Mercer County Democratic Committee. She was unanimously re-elected Chair in June 2012 and June 2014. 

An attorney, Asw. Muoio received her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, C.T.  She lives in her hometown of Pennington, New Jersey, with her husband and three children.

Asw. Muoio currently serves on the Regulated Professions Committee and the Women and Children Committee in the General Assembly. She joins Sen. Shirley Turner and Asm. Reed Gusciora in representing the 15th Legislative District, which spans the Mercer County municipalities of Ewing, Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township, Lawrence, Pennington, Trenton and West Windsor, and the Hunterdon County municipalities of East Amwell, West Amwell and Lambertville.

For more information about Assemblywoman Elizabeth Maher Muoio, please visit her legislative Web page.