State Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, accompanied by her Chief of Staff, Jeffrey Wood, spoke to RHS students taking AP Government and Politics and the Contemporary Issues elective on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, encouraging them to become civically involved and engaged in their communities.

“Do you have faith that your representatives are really listening, are really hearing you?” Dunn asked students. Amid nods from the crowd, she affirmed, “I am; my main job is to listen.”

Dunn demonstrated how local governments can work with their constituents to enact meaningful bipartisan change. For example, to gauge public sentiment on key issues—as well as to apply her own expertise as a politico—Dunn regularly makes visits like the one to RHS. In most cases, however, she hears from constituents through email, phone calls and letters. 

“A politico is the best type of representative to have,” senior Liam Rose noted afterward, “They are a balance of someone who keeps their constituents’ beliefs at heart as well as someone who uses their expert judgment to make decisions.” 

As an assemblywoman, Dunn represents the 25^th voting district of New Jersey, which includes over 250,000 constituents. This means she has over 250,000 voices to consider when voting on legislation. 

“She’s going to give you a response, whether she agrees or disagrees with your points,” Wood said. “Then we will review them on the drive to Trenton to see where the community is on this issue, and she’s going to weigh that heavily in her decision-making process.”

As a Republican, Dunn works within a New Jersey state assembly controlled by a Democratic supermajority. This means she needs to persuade legislators with an opposite set of priorities to support her bills. This often requires crossing the aisle of the chambers in Trenton—both literally and figuratively—to collaborate and compromise with her colleagues.  

When seeking bipartisan cooperation, “it’s about relationships, and it starts with civility,” Dunn said.

Dunn emphasized the importance of students becoming involved in local government in the future. In fact, one familiar face in the audience was senior Eli Kahn, who interns at Dunn’s Morristown office and plans to pursue a career in politics.  

“My experience with local government showed me that change doesn’t start in Washington, it starts at the local level,” Kahn said. “Local government addresses the issues we deal with every day, and while it’s not always the first thing we see in the news, it has the greatest impact on our real lives.”