the progress - questions for candidates

Four candidates seeking two seats in the 40th Assembly district
Oct 20, 2025 Updated Oct 22, 2025

Four candidates are competing in the Tuesday, Nov. 4 general election for two, two-year terms representing state Assembly District 40.
Incumbent Republicans Al Barlas and Christopher DePhillips are seeking re-election, challenged by Democrats Jeff Gates and Ron Arnau.

New Jersey’s 40th legislative district includes the Essex County municipalities of Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield Township, North Caldwell, Verona, and West Caldwell, the Passaic County municipalities of Hawthorne, Little Falls, Totowa, Wayne, and Woodland Park, and the Bergen County municipalities of Franklin Lakes, Ridgewood, and Wycoff.
Earlier this month, this publication asked each of the four candidates to answer a questionnaire about the race via email.

Barlas, Gates, and DePhillips responded to these questions, and their answers are below.
 
Question: Why are you running for this position?
Barlas: I have spent my entire two decade career fighting to make government more accountable, more efficient, and most importantly, more effective. I will fight to make New Jersey affordable by lowering property taxes, invest in schools so our kids get the best education imaginable, and support our first responders to make our communities safer. I’m running to make the state we all love better, not just for today, but future generations.
DePhillips: New Jersey is at a crossroads. We’re facing an affordability crisis like never before. From rising taxes and energy bills to increasing crime rates, it’s becoming harder to live, own a business, or retire here. My running mate and I believe this state should remain a place where families thrive, entrepreneurs succeed, and retirees can live comfortably. New Jersey is my home. I’m committed to making it better.
Gates: I am passionate about making the world around me and my family a better place and am not satisfied sitting around when I believe I can do better. I believe I have the knowledge, skills, and passion to represent the people effectively and look forward to doing so. I don’t believe the incumbents are communicating their positions to the public effectively and are not being accountable to the people. An example of this is their refusal to participate in a candidate forum despite being incumbents who should be proud of their record, but instead they hide by refusing to participate. If elected I will strive to improve communication with residents and be accountable to the people instead of political donors.
 
Question: What do you see as your jurisdiction’s biggest challenges?
Barlas: There are three major problems. Sky rocketing utility bills, rampant overdevelopment of our suburban communities, and affordability are the biggest right now. We’ve seen our energy bills, in some cases like mine, double over the last two years. Our communities, especially West Essex, are being forced to develop every last bit of open space in order to meet their court mandated housing number. It is simply not sustainable. It strains municipal resources and over crowds our classrooms – which leads to property crises. This all contributes to our affordability crisis. Nothing is affordable anymore.
DePhillips: Affordable housing mandates, affordability, and public safety are three of the most pressing issues facing the towns in Legislative District 40. – Following the passage of Bill A4, which increased the number of required affordable housing units per municipality, our towns were given unrealistic numbers, forcing them to either comply or face litigation from the state. We need meaningful reform to this law to help towns preserve their environment and relieve the strain these mandates place on public services. Affordability remains another serious concern for LD 40. Every year, our residents feel their wallets tighten without an improvement in their quality of life. We must reduce taxes and ease regulations to make it simpler to own a home, own a business, and retire comfortably here in New Jersey. Finally, public safety continues to be a growing challenge statewide. Recent bail reform policies have made it increasingly difficult to prosecute certain non-violent crimes including car theft and home break-ins. To keep our communities safe, we need to empower law enforcement to do their jobs effectively and ensure accountability for those who break the law.
Gates: Housing and affordability are top issues. As a Realtor I see on a daily basis people who are well qualified to buy a home get frustrated and lose bidding wars when there are 10-20 or more offers on a house. More inventory would help, but unfortunately a large number of the new developments end up as rental properties which doesn’t help the short supply of homes for sale. Incentives to help make more new construction “For Sale” instead of “For Rent” properties would allow young people to have a better chance of buying homes and building wealth earlier.
Additionally, with the Federal Government currently working to close down the Department of Education and FEMA we need to protect NJ in those areas. I also support pushing for towns and schools to increase shared services that will help lower costs for taxpayers.
 
Question: What special qualifications do you feel you bring to the position?
Barlas: I bring two decades of real experience working in and around government. That experience matters. I know how to take an idea and turn it into action. I know how to cut through red tape to make sure our communities see results. I don’t just talk about changing things – I actually change them. I have spent a very long time developing relationships across the aisle to deliver real bipartisan results for the people of New Jersey. I am not coming in to learn on the job. I know how to fight and I will never stop fighting for the residents of the 40th Legislative District.
DePhillips: My experience as both a local elected official and a practicing attorney provides me with a unique and practical perspective in the Assembly. This combination allows me to navigate legislation with a clear understanding of how laws impact our towns and residents. I approach every bill by putting myself in the shoes of mayors, council members, and residents before casting a vote or sponsoring legislation.
Gates: I am a 3rd generation councilman who was raised to give back and work to make the world around me a better place. I am not a political party boss who gerrymandered the district to help myself like one of my opponents. If elected I will work to represent the people of the district and not to advance my own self interests.
  
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