By Anne Levin

Now that Reed Gusciora has been elected mayor of Trenton, his 15th District New Jersey Assembly seat is up for grabs. Kevin Kuchinski, mayor of Hopewell Township, has issued a statement saying he is pursuing the post.

“Our district has a long history of strong representation and innovative leadership, most recently with Reed Gusciora,” he said. “Reed led the charge to bring fairness back to New Jersey, including a major victory on gay marriage several years ago. My goal is to build on Reed’s accomplishments in the Fighting 15th.”

Kuchinski has been on the Hopewell Township Committee since 2015 and was elected mayor a year later. He is a former vice president of marketing for Church & Dwight, and was formerly employed by Procter & Gamble. Kuchinski is currently a partner at Sourland Mountain Spirits, and he has a consulting practice focused on branding strategies.

Kuchinski intends to share his platform in coming weeks, focusing on accelerating economic growth in central New Jersey. “As a mayor, I understand first-hand the issues facing residents in Mercer and Hunterdon counties,” he said. “I have been on the front lines of these battles. I learned from Senator [Shirley] Turner the importance of focusing on residents’ everyday needs and listening to their concerns.”

Under his leadership, Hopewell Township has rejected President Trump’s anti-immigrant policies, strengthened environmental protections, advocated for common-sense gun reforms, called for transparency in campaign financing, and delivered a 2018 budget below 2015 spending levels, Kuchinski pointed out.

His work ethic comes from being the grandson of coal miners, seamstresses, and auto workers. “I come from a family of strong, smart, supportive women and have been described as someone who listens to all voices and perspectives,” he said. “I will work tirelessly on behalf of all of the residents of the 15th District to take on the important issues and make progress, to build coalitions that move New Jersey forward, and to be a staunch advocate at the State House.”

Kuchinski and his wife live in Hopewell Valley and have four childen. He co-chairs the advisory board of The Watershed Institute, and is president of the Hopewell Valley Education Foundation.

“In this environment, it’s not enough to mean well or to have progressive ideals,” he said. “The Fighting 15th needs an experienced and resourceful leader who will put the needs of the people ahead of special interests, a leader who will fight to end gun violence and make our streets safe, a leader who believes that defending our water and the environment while growing the economy and creating jobs is not an either/or choice, but rather something we must achieve together.”