Hester joins Assembly Democratic staff

Assembly Speaker Joseph has picked Tom Hester, Jr., a veteran state house reporter, to serve as the new Associate Executive Director for Communications in the Assembly Majority Office. Hester replaces Mike Muller, who left this month to run the coordinated Democratic campaign. Hester has covered the Legislature and the Governor’s office for the Associated Press and the Trenton Times, and worked for the Express Times and the Hunterdon County Democrat. His father, Tom Hester, Sr., was also a well-known statehouse reporter.

As associate executive director for communications, Hester will oversee the daily operations of the Assembly Majority Office’s press department and will be responsible for formulating and executing caucus-wide media strategies.

“Tom is a professional whose even-handed reporting style has earned him a great reputation and enormous respect from the Assembly Democratic caucus,” Roberts said. “As a reporter, Tom has shown a natural ability to dissect legislation and convey its true meaning in simple terms. That knack for making policy accessible and easy-to-understand will serve our caucus well as we seek to tackle some of the state’s most-vexing issues.”

“From his days covering local issues at The Times to his current position at the AP, I have always known Tom as a reporter who wanted to make sure people knew the full story,” said Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman. “It is his attention to the little things that make a big difference which is so important.”