Newark Post | by Josh Shannon and Matt Smith
Voters in the 25th House District chose Democrat Cyndie Romer to replace longtime incumbent John Kowalko, who did not seek re-election.
Romer defeated Republican Lynn Mey 65 percent to 35 percent in Tuesday’s election.
“I’m feeling very optimistic and grateful for the opportunity to represent the Newark area and ready to get to work and do a good job,” Romer said Tuesday night.
She attributed her victory to her effort to knock on doors and meet constituents.
“It was amazing to see at both the primary and the general, the number of people that me and my team recognized and stories that we remembered because we had made those connections with people at the doors,” she said. “I think it grounded me in really understanding the community better and absolutely feel that was the deciding factor for me in the campaign.”
A resident of Forest Ridge on Otts Chapel Road, Romer works at tech consulting company Diamond Technologies.
Romer has been active in the ACLU, NAACP and Moms Demand Action, a gun control advocacy group. She started getting more involved in state politics during the pandemic, when government meetings were moved online and she was able to tune in to livestreams and make public comments while working from home.
She said she is well-prepared to serve in government due to her advocacy work combined with her professional experience building teams that collaborate to solve problems.
“I have integrity, I’m honest, I’m straightforward,” Romer said. “No one’s going to outwork me.”
During her campaign, she said one of her priorities will be working on gun safety legislation. While several bills were passed this year, others were left on the table, such as SB 3, which would require residents to obtain a permit and take a training course before being able to purchase a handgun.
“No one’s trying to take away people’s Second Amendment rights,” Romer said. “But we do need to have policies in place that have been proven to reduce gun violence.”
She also advocates reforming the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights to allow public access to police misconduct records.
District 25 encompasses the southern half of Newark, from Main Street down to Glasgow and from the state line east to the Norfolk Southern rail line.