Credit: (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)Monday’s primary election-filing deadline means the battle lines have been officially drawn in what already seems like a long primary season for one U.S. Senate seat and all 12 of the state’s seats in the House of Representatives.
The filings mean contested primaries for both parties in a number of districts around the state, as well as in the Senate race. In all, eight candidates in both parties are vying for the two Senate nominations and 51 filed for the House slots. The largest primary fields are for the two open seats: Democrat Bob Menendez’s Senate seat and the 3rd District seat being vacated by Democrat Andy Kim, now the front-runner to succeed Menendez.
While public interest in primaries is typically low, these are especially important in New Jersey because in almost every case, the person who wins the primary has a strong likelihood of winning the general election. For House races, that’s because congressional district boundaries have been drawn to favor one party or the other. For the Senate, New Jerseyans haven’t elected a Republican in more than a half-century. Turnout will likely be higher this year because of the presidential race, though polls have shown little enthusiasm for either party’s presidential nominee.
Tammy takes her leave
Tammy Murphy’s exit from the Senate race leaves three declared Democratic candidates: Kim, Patricia Campos-Medina, an educator and labor advocate, and Larry Hamm, a Newark activist. Menendez announced last week that he would not run in the primary as a Democrat, opting instead to take his chances as an independent in November — provided he is not found guilty of public corruption charges.
On the Republican side, five candidates filed: hotelier Curtis Bashaw, Mendham Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner, Justin Murphy of Tabernacle, Albert Harshaw of Jackson and Peter Vallorosi of Newton. A fourth declared candidate, former News12 New Jersey reporter Alex Zdan, bowed out Monday, six weeks after entering the race.
The only district where the November race is expected to be close is the 7th District in Central Jersey, where Republican Tom Kean Jr. is expected to face Democratic activist Sue Altman.
The largest primary field in House races is in the 3rd District, where Kim represents parts of Burlington, Mercer and Monmouth counties. Five candidates submitted petitions: Assemblyman Herb Conaway and Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, both of whom represent the same 7th District in the Legislature; Brian Schkeeper of Medford, Joe Cohn of Lumberton and businesswoman Sarah Schoengood of Freehold. The Republicans are Michael Francis Faccone of Freehold, Rajesh Mohan of Holmdel, Shirley Maia-Cusick of Mount Holly and Gregory M. Sobocinski, who ran as an independent for the seat two years ago. Once competitive, redistricting has made this a solidly Democratic district.
Close contest in the 7th
The only district where the November race is expected to be close is the 7th District in Central Jersey. Republican Tom Kean Jr. is expected to face Democratic activist Sue Altman. Kean has token primary opposition from Roger Bacon of Phillipsburg, a perennial candidate who has run as a Democrat in the past.
Two other primary races expected to draw interest are in the 8th and 9th districts in north Jersey. In the 8th District, freshman Rep. Rob Menendez, the U.S. senator’s son, has received the backing of Democratic parties in Essex, Hudson and Union counties but could face backlash because of his father’s indictment. Rob Menendez is facing a challenge from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who had raised more money than Menendez, according to their last campaign finance reports, and Kyle Jasey, the son of former state Assemblywoman Mila Jasey
And Prospect Park Mayor Mohammad Khairullah is challenging Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., who at 87 is one of the oldest members of Congress, in the 9th District, which covers parts of Bergen, Hudson and Passaic counties. Pascrell has the Democratic Party’s backing.
Filing nominating petitions does not guarantee a spot on the ballot. Anyone can challenge a candidate’s petitions and if a judge determines that the candidate did not have enough valid signatures, the candidate’s name will not appear on the June ballot. Senate candidates need to submit at least 1,000 valid signatures and House candidates must submit 200 signatures.
Below is the full list of candidates who filed petitions, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
