Tiffany Burress Announces Run for State House Seat
Tiffany Burress, the spouse of former New York Giants player Plaxico Burress, declared on Tuesday her intention to run as a Republican for a North Jersey state House seat, a position that has been under Democratic control for quite some time.
In her announcement, Burress differentiated her experience in the private sector from that of Rep. Nellie Pau, who has spent her career in public service.
Notably, her husband famously caught the game-winning touchdown in the 2008 Super Bowl, which ended the New England Patriots’ perfect season in 2007. Over his career, he amassed 4,086 receiving yards with the Giants.
A native of Pittsburgh, Burress currently serves on the Workers’ Compensation Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association and has been recognized as one of Bergen County’s “Top Lawyers.” She also played college athletics at Penn State University.
In her remarks, Burress took aim at Pauw, who won the seat from Bill Pascrell Jr. after he passed away at 87, just months before the election. She suggested that Pau’s rise to the position was facilitated by a series of advantageous opportunities.
“Congresswoman Nellie Pau has had a charmed life, working in government for 50 years without ever having a private sector job. It was in 1997 that her doors began opening,” Burress stated, comparing Pau’s voting record to that of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Burrress expressed her commitment to being proactive, saying that rather than waiting for opportunities, she intends to “blast down the door” and bring a fresh perspective, unlike the Democrats.
She asserted, “Let’s try something different,” emphasizing that her campaign could become one of the more intriguing contests in New Jersey.
The district in question includes the MetLife Giants stadium complex and has not seen a Republican representative since U.S. Rep. Harold Hollenbeck was re-elected in 1981.
Since that time, several notable Democrats have held the seat, including Robert “The Torch” Torricelli from 1983 to 1997 and Pascrell until his death in August 2024.
The district extends from Pompton Lakes, tracing the boundaries of Passaic County, which features a significant Democratic and minority demographic, and reaches the diverse suburbs of Moonachie, Carlstadt, and Edgewater in southern Bergen County.
Though Pauw was expected to easily win against Republican candidate Billy Prempeh in 2024, she only managed to secure victory by four points, largely due to President Donald Trump’s influence in the area.
At that time, the shift in voter sentiment appeared aimed at Passaic County’s predominantly Hispanic and Jewish populations.
While Trump moved the district significantly, Republicans may face challenges, especially with some segments like the Muslim community expressing frustration toward his administration.
Recent news highlighted concerns after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard raised alarms about alleged attempts to impose “Islamic principles” in Paterson, leading to local discontent.
In the upcoming 2025 gubernatorial election, the district once again backed the leading Democrat, Mikie Sherrill.
The campaign for Pauw emphasizes her commitment to improving lives in New Jersey, highlighting her advocacy for better education, affordable healthcare, and criminal justice reform.
