Voters in New Jersey will be choosing candidates to replace Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who is currently on trial in federal court on corruption charges and has decided not to run in the state’s Democratic primary. Menendez has held the seat for over 18 years and has expressed interest in running as an independent if he is acquitted. The primary elections will also include presidential primaries and primary elections for U.S. House seats.
The absence of Menendez from the race has led to significant changes and jockeying within the state. The early competition between first lady Tammy Murphy and front-runner Rep. Andy Kim resulted in a ruling that eliminated the party line on the ballot for the primary. This move aims to create a fairer playing field by removing the advantage that party-backed candidates typically have. Kim now faces opposition from labor leader Patricia Campos-Medina and activist Lawrence Hamm in the primary.
On the Republican side, four candidates are vying for the Senate primary, including hotelier Curtis Bashaw, Navy veteran Albert Harshaw, former Tabernacle Deputy Mayor Justin Murphy, and Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner, who has received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. The race for the 3rd Congressional District seat, vacated by Kim, has drawn five Democratic candidates, with the emerging primary winner likely to be favored in the fall election.
In the 8th Congressional District, Rep. Rob Menendez, son of the current senator, is facing a tough challenge from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla. Bhalla has nearly matched Menendez in fundraising, making the race in this New York City suburban district particularly competitive. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have unofficially secured their parties’ nominations on March 12 and both will be on the ballot in New Jersey, aiming to earn more delegates.
New Jersey’s primary will include various contested races for U.S. Senate and U.S. House, with the Associated Press reporting vote totals for the Democratic presidential primary. While Trump is running unopposed in the Republican presidential primary, the Democratic ballot includes Biden, anti-abortion activist Terrisa Bukovinac, and an uncommitted option in most counties. Registered party members can only vote in their own party’s primary, while independent or unaffiliated voters may participate in either primary.
As of May 1, New Jersey had 6,549,568 registered voters, with turnout in the 2022 primary election at about 7% for Democrats and 5% for Republicans. In the 2022 primary, the AP reported results shortly after polls closed, with the tabulation ending around 2 a.m. ET with about 90% of total votes counted. New Jersey does not have automatic recounts, but candidates and voters may request and pay for them. The state also allows absentee ballots postmarked by election day to arrive up to six days later, potentially impacting the outcome of close races.
