Old Bridge Councilman Mark Razzoli will run for the state senate next year in LD12 in the Republican Primary.

Veteran state Senator Sam Thompson (R-12) currently occupies the seat.

“Samuel is more concerned with what’s going on in Edison than the 12th District,” Razzoli told InsiderNJ.

Retired from the Jersey City Police Department since 2017 Razzoli said he would bring a work ethic to the job that the district desperately needs, in his opinion.

Up for for reelection to the council next year, he ran unsuccessfully for congress this year against U.S> Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.

“Obviously, I take issue with the way Governor Murphy and his allies have trampled on people’s rights; and all the unconstitutional executive orders,” Razzoli said. “I am the senator who will be heard.”

Thompson, he said, hasn’t been vocal enough for the councilman’s liking.

“He’s definitely not been a strong enough supporter of other Republicans,” explained the conservative, who left the Democratic Party a few years ago. “When it comes to Sam, it’s about him and Chairwoman [Lucille] Panos, neither of whom gave me support when I ran for Congress.”

As a retired police officer, Razzoli makes law enforcement and public safety critical priorities.

“Public safety and national security should be our number one priority; no state legislator should put themselves in a position to make their own laws,” he said last year in his kickoff bid to dethrone Watson Coleman. “Their job is to enforce the laws that exist and to protect the citizens of their respective states…public safety and law enforcement go hand in hand.

“I am not looking for a hashtag movement, nor am I seeking the proverbial 15 minutes of glory,” he added at the time. “I am a patriotic American and by running for Congress with the Republican Party, I will fight for the rights of American citizens and for their safety.”