New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (July 7 Democratic primary)
- Primary date: July 7
- Primary type: Semi-closed
- Registration deadline(s): June 16
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Early voting starts: Pending
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): July 7 (received)
- Voter ID: No ID
- Poll times: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
2022 →
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| New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 30, 2020 |
| Primary: July 7, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Jeff Van Drew (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in New Jersey |
| Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Tilt Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th New Jersey elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 |
Amy Kennedy defeated four other candidates to win the Democratic nomination for New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District in a primary on July 7, 2020. Kennedy received 62% of the vote to Brigid Callahan Harrison's 22% and Will Cunningham's 13%. No other candidate received more than 10% of the vote. The incumbent Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R), first elected in 2018 as a Democrat, ran for re-election. On December 19, 2019, Van Drew announced he was switching his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican.[1]
Michelle Brunetti with The Press of Atlantic City described the race as a contest between Amy Kennedy, a former educator and member of the Kennedy family who received an endorsement from Gov. Phil Murphy (D), and Brigid Callahan Harrison (D), a political science professor "backed by ... State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, and Democratic powerbroker George Norcross," Brunetti wrote.[2] NJ Spotlight's Carl Golden wrote that the race became "a proxy war ... pitting the Norcross organization against the more traditional [Democratic] party establishment."[3] In 2019, Murphy clashed with Sweeney and Norcross on the Economic Development Authority’s use of tax incentives.[4]
Harrison received endorsements from six of the eight county parties located in the 2nd District: Cape May, Cumberland, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem.[5] Kennedy was endorsed by the Atlantic County party, the largest county in the district.[6] Ocean County did not issue an endorsement.[7] County party endorsements in New Jersey impact placement of the candidates' names on the ballot with endorsed candidates oftentimes placed in the leftmost column known as the county line. To read more about this process and its history in the 2nd District, click here.
Satellite spending in the primary came from three sources: America's Future First, Blue Organizing Project, and General Majority PAC.[8] America's Future First, created on June 9, 2020, supported Kennedy. The group was affiliated with Democratic National Committeeman John F.X. Graham. Blue Organizing Project opposed Harrison with digital advertisements.[8] From January 1 to March 31, 2020, the group reported one donation of $500,000 from former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), Amy Kennedy's husband.[9] General Majority PAC, affiliated with Norcross, reported expenditures supporting Harrison and opposing Kennedy.[8][10]
Kennedy said, "Since the beginning of this race, the machine has tried to stack the deck for the candidate of their choice in the same way they did for Jeff Van Drew with rigged endorsements and dirty tricks."[11] Harrison said, "I didn't marry a name and say that entitles me to anything ... I worked for my background, my expertise and the support of the people who have chosen to support me."[11]
The two candidates held similar policy positions. Both supported the expansion of Medicare and overturning the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision. They differed on marijuana policy with Harrison supportive of legalization and Kennedy in favor of decriminalization.[11]
Will Cunningham, John Francis III, and Robert Turkavage also ran in the primary.
With Van Drew elected as a Democrat in 2018, the 2nd District was one of 31 House Districts that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 and for a Democrat in 2018. In 2016, Trump received 51% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's (D) 46%.[12] In 2018, Van Drew won the general election with 53% of the vote to Seth Grossman's (R) 45%. At the time of the primary, the 2nd District's voter registration totals were 31% Democratic, 28% Republican, and 40% unaffiliated.[13] To learn more about what's at stake in the general election, click here.
Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:
 Harrison |
 Kennedy |
This page focuses on New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (July 7 Republican primary)
- New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
New Jersey modified its primary election process as follows:
- Election postponements: The primary election was postponed from June 2 to July 7.
- Candidate filing procedures: Candidates were allowed to collect and submit petition signatures via electronic means.
- Voting procedures: All registered, active Democratic and Republican received mail-in ballots automatically. Unaffiliated and inactive voters received mail-in ballot applications automatically.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Amy Kennedy | 62.1 | 43,414 |
 | Brigid Callahan Harrison  | 22.3 | 15,560 | |
 | Will Cunningham | 12.8 | 8,946 | |
| John Francis III | 1.5 | 1,061 | ||
| Robert Turkavage | 1.3 | 938 | ||
| Total votes: 69,919 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Reactions and commentary
This section includes quotes and commentary on the final race results from persons or organizations involved in New Jersey politics. Commentary primarily centered on discussing what led to Kennedy's victory and what that victory meant for George Norcross' political apparatus.
| “ | Activists and voters in South Jersey just knocked the most powerful and reactionary political machine in America flat on its back, and New Jersey will never be the same ... The Norcross machine went all in for hand-picked Norcross ally Brigid Harrison ... This is a stunning victory for progressives in New Jersey and a massive defeat for a conservative political machine which has for too long thwarted progressive change in the state.[14] | ” |
| —Sue Altman, New Jersey Working Families State Director[15] | ||
| “ | In the conduct of her campaign, Kennedy was no reformer. The turning point for her came at the Atlantic County convention in March, when she relied heavily on help from Craig Callaway, an operative who spent more than three years in prison on bribery charges. She took money from for-profit prisons. She got help from a Super PAC that was funded almost entirely by her husband, former Congressman Patrick Kennedy ... If this is the clean and transparent alternative to the Norcross machine, count me as uninspired ... So, sorry folks, but I don’t see this race as evidence of a progressive surge in New Jersey. Yes, it was a loss for the Norcross machine, which is centrist. And it was a modest win for Gov. Phil Murphy, who endorsed Kennedy in the campaign’s final weeks. But Kennedy is no AOC, and it was undoubtedly the name and the money that propelled her. [14] | ” |
| —Tom Moran, The Star-Ledger[16] | ||
| “ | What Tom Moran fails to recognize is that the terms “progressive” and “reformer” mean different things in different contexts. And in New Jersey, both the terms “progressive” and “reformer” have come to signify three behavioral aspects ... The first is opposition to political boss rule. In this regard, Amy has been the ULTIMATE progressive reformer, running and triumphing against a total Norcross subordinate acolyte in Brigid Harrison ... The second is advocacy of competitive and deserved pay and benefits for state employees and public-school teachers. Amy Kennedy, a former school teacher herself, has been a staunch advocate of proper compensation levels for these public servants ... The third is advocacy and adherence to an activist liberal reform agenda, which is exactly the policies Amy advocated in the primary.[14] | ” |
| —Alan J. Steinberg, former executive director of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission[17] | ||
| “ | Even a primary as divisive as this one will not deter Democrats from coalescing around Kennedy’s candidacy to defeat a Trump apologist. This is a tough district, but with each passing day, Trump makes it easier for Democrats to win it. As for George Norcross, take it from a Democrat who has been on the other side of his machine in every single statewide primary: Even when he loses a primary election, his organization comes back strong. Unless you start seeing defections in the South Jersey legislative block, the reality is that his organization is still able to pass or block any given piece of legislation, which is where the true power lies. And unless Governor Murphy decides to run off the line in South Jersey counties next year, it will be hard for progressives to mount primary challenges to legislative incumbents there.[14] | ” |
| —Julie Roginsky, NJ.com[18] | ||
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[19] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I am a proud son of South Jersey. I was raised by a single mother who worked an hourly wage factory job, forcing my family to live paycheck-to-paycheck. Without a reliable safety net, my family was constantly moving and frequently spent several months at a time without heat, hot water, or electricity. When things got really tough, my mother and I lost the roof over our heads, forcing us to live in a downtrodden weekly rate hotel. I was homeless for half of my high school career. Despite these overwhelming obstacles, I graduated with honors from Vineland High School and was accepted to Brown University. At Brown, I made a promise to myself to always fight for vulnerable populations and work to ensure others were afforded the same opportunities as me. Since 2016, I have worked in the House of Representatives as a Chief Investigator for the late Chairman Elijah Cummings. As an Oversight Investigator, I held pharmaceutical companies accountable, called out unethical price gouging, probed predatory for-profit colleges, and fought against corporate greed that endangered the public health. I am running for Congress because I believe that those who understand the struggles of their community should be the ones to represent them. I have never forgotten where I came from and I want to help the families and children of New Jersey's Second Congressional District to achieve their dreams just as I, with their help, was able to do not so long ago."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 in 2020.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Having lived in South Jersey my entire life, I have seen how our district has been forgotten over the years. I decided to run for office when Jeff Van Drew turned his back on our district by pledging his undying loyalty to Trump. I have been incredibly fortunate during my life to have been afforded great opportunities, all of which came from the hard work and dedication that I plan to bring with me to Washington D.C., to represent my constituents to the best of my ability, and to reignite the South Jersey economy. I have also spent my life studying and teaching politics as a political science professor at Montclair State. I have been incredibly fortunate during my life to have been afforded great opportunities, all of which came from the hard work and dedication that I plan to bring with me to Washington D.C., to represent my constituents to the best of my ability, and to reignite the South Jersey economy after this crisis has left us beaten and tattered. I am very fortunate to have earned the endorsements of over a dozen labor organizations, local politicians and both Senator Cory Booker and Senator Bob Menendez."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 in 2020.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Kennedy received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Penn State University and a master's in environmental education from Nova Southeastern University. From 2001 to 2014, she worked as a secondary education teacher in Northfield, N.J. At the time of the primary, Kennedy served on the Mental Health America board and worked as the education director at the Kennedy Forum, founded by her husband, former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.).
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 in 2020.
Noteworthy primary endorsements
This section lists endorsements issued in this election. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.
| Democratic primary endorsements | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Cunningham | Harrison | Kennedy | |||||
| Newspapers and editorials | ||||||||
| The Philadelphia Inquirer[20] | ✔ | |||||||
| Elected officials | ||||||||
| Governor Phil Murphy (D-N.J.)[21] | ✔ | |||||||
| Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver (D-N.J.)[22] | ✔ | |||||||
| U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.)[23] | ✔ | |||||||
| U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.)[24] | ✔ | |||||||
| U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)[25] | ✔ | |||||||
| U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-N.J.)[23] | ✔ | |||||||
| Organizations | ||||||||
| The Collective PAC[26] | ✔ | |||||||
| Democracy for America[26] | ✔ | |||||||
| End Citizens United[27] | ✔ | |||||||
| The Gravel Institute[26] | ✔ | |||||||
| Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA)[23] | ✔ | |||||||
County lines
In New Jersey, county parties have the ability to select the placement of a candidate's name on the ballot in their respective counties. The selection of the candidate can be determined by a full vote of the county party committee or at the discretion of the county party chairperson. In counties that utilize the process, positions up for election are listed in rows with the candidates running for those positions listed in columns. Oftentimes, the candidate selected by the county party will appear in the leftmost column, known as the county line, with remaining candidates appearing in columns to the right.[28]
Supporters of the process point to electoral history, saying placement on the county line does not guarantee the endorsed candidate will receive a majority of votes. Opponents say it advantages the party-endorsed candidate.[29]
At the time of the primary, the 2nd District included all or parts of eight counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem. Click on the links to view sample ballots from Cumberland County and Atlantic County.
The table below lists the counties located within the 2nd District. The second column indicates the percentage share of votes that came from the county in the district's 2018 Democratic primary. The third column lists the candidate slated to appear in the county line. For example, the first row shows that in 2018, 41.2% of the ballots cast in the 2nd District Democratic primary came from Atlantic County. In 2020, Kennedy appeared on its county line.
| County line analysis[30][31] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % share of 2018 primary vote | County line candidate | |||||||
| Atlantic | 41.2% | Kennedy | ||||||
| Cumberland | 16.0% | Harrison | ||||||
| Cape May | 14.9% | Harrison | ||||||
| Gloucester | 13.2% | Harrison | ||||||
| Salem | 8.1% | N/A[32] | ||||||
| Ocean | 5.0% | N/A[33][7] | ||||||
| Camden | 1.3% | Harrison | ||||||
| Burlington | 0.2% | Harrison | ||||||
Timeline
2020
Campaign finance
This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[36] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[37] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Cunningham | Democratic Party | $184,858 | $184,853 | $5 | As of September 30, 2020 |
| John Francis III | Democratic Party | $14,268 | $13,764 | $2,484 | As of September 30, 2020 |
| Brigid Callahan Harrison | Democratic Party | $450,486 | $436,876 | $13,610 | As of June 30, 2020 |
| Amy Kennedy | Democratic Party | $5,048,012 | $5,042,549 | $5,463 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Robert Turkavage | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[38][39][40]
This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.
- America's Future First spent $56,323 supporting Kennedy between June 11 and July 1, 2020.[8] The group filed its statement of organization with the FEC on June 9, 2020.[41]
- Blue Organizing Project spent $75,000 opposing Harrison with digital advertisements on May 21, 2020.[8] From January 1 to March 31, 2020, the group reported one donation of $500,000 from Patrick Kennedy, Amy Kennedy's husband.[9] Following the expenditure, Amy Kennedy said, "I do not believe single candidate super PACs should insert themselves into this primary and so I am calling on this super PAC to refrain from spending in this race."[42]
- General Majority PAC spent $210,000 supporting Harrison and $62,526 opposing Kennedy.[8] The New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein described the PAC as being tied to George Norcross, a political influencer in southern New Jersey.[43][10]
Primaries in New Jersey
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New Jersey utilizes a semi-closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is generally limited to registered party members. Unaffiliated voters can register as party members at the polls on primary election day. Otherwise, a voter must indicate his or her party preference (e.g., via an updated voter registration) no later than the 55th day preceding the primary in order to vote in that party's primary.[44][45]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
What's at stake in the general election?
U.S. House elections were held on November 3, 2020, and coincided with the 2020 presidential election. All 435 House districts were up for election, and the results determined control of the U.S. House in the 117th Congress.
At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232-197 advantage over Republicans. There was one Libertarian member, and there were five vacancies. Republicans needed to gain a net 21 seats to win control of the House. Democrats needed to gain seats or lose fewer than 14 net seats to keep their majority.
In the 2018 midterm election, Democrats had a net gain of 40 seats, winning a 235-200 majority in the House. Heading into the 2018 election, Republicans had a 235-193 majority with seven vacancies.
In the 25 previous House elections that coincided with a presidential election, the president's party had gained House seats in 16 elections and lost seats in nine. In years where the president's party won districts, the average gain was 18. In years where the president's party lost districts, the average loss was 27. Click here for more information on presidential partisanship and down-ballot outcomes.
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[46]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[47][48][49]
| Race ratings: New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Tilt Democratic | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Democratic | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+1, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 1 percentage point more Republican than the national average. This made New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District the 231st most Republican nationally.[50]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.05. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.05 points toward that party.[51]
District election history
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jeff Van Drew (D) | 52.9 | 136,685 |
 | Seth Grossman (R) | 45.2 | 116,866 | |
 | John Ordille (L) | 0.7 | 1,726 | |
 | Steven Fenichel (Time for Truth Party) | 0.4 | 1,154 | |
 | Anthony Parisi Sanchez (Cannot Be Bought Party) | 0.4 | 1,064 | |
 | William Benfer (Together We Can Party) | 0.3 | 868 | |
| Total votes: 258,363 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Jeff Van Drew defeated Tanzie Youngblood, Will Cunningham, and Nathan Kleinman in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeff Van Drew | 57.0 | 16,901 |
 | Tanzie Youngblood | 18.5 | 5,495 | |
| Will Cunningham | 16.2 | 4,795 | |
 | Nathan Kleinman | 8.3 | 2,467 | |
| Total votes: 29,658 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Sean Thom (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Seth Grossman defeated Hirsh Singh, Samuel Fiocchi, and Robert Turkavage in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Seth Grossman | 39.0 | 10,215 |
 | Hirsh Singh | 30.5 | 7,983 | |
 | Samuel Fiocchi | 23.3 | 6,107 | |
| Robert Turkavage | 7.1 | 1,854 | ||
| Total votes: 26,159 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- James Toto (R)
- Brian Fitzherbert (R)
- Mark McGovern (R)
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Frank LoBiondo (R) defeated David Cole (D) and several third party candidates in the general election on November 8, 2016. LoBiondo faced no challenger in the Republican primary, while Cole defeated Costantino Rozzo in the Democratic primary. The primary elections took place on June 7, 2016. LoBiondo won re-election in the November 8 election.[52][53]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Frank LoBiondo Incumbent |
59.2% | 176,338 | |
| Democratic | David Cole | 37.2% | 110,838 | |
| Libertarian | John Ordille | 1.3% | 3,773 | |
| Make Government Work | James Keenan | 0.9% | 2,653 | |
| Representing the 99% | Steven Fenichel | 0.5% | 1,574 | |
| People's Independent Progressive | Eric Beechwood | 0.5% | 1,387 | |
| For Political Revolution | Gabriel Brian Franco | 0.4% | 1,232 | |
| Total Votes | 297,795 | |||
| Source: New Jersey Division of Elections | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
David Cole |
81.1% | 33,961 | ||
| Constantino Rozzo | 18.9% | 7,932 | ||
| Total Votes | 41,893 | |||
| Source: New Jersey Division of Elections |
||||
2014
The 2nd Congressional District of New Jersey held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R) defeated Bill Hughes, Jr. (D), Gary Stein (I), Bayode Olabisi (I), Costantino Rozzo (American Labor Party) and Alexander Spano (Democratic-Republican) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frank LoBiondo Incumbent |
61.5% | 108,875 | |
| Democratic | Bill Hughes, Jr. | 37.3% | 66,026 | |
| Independent | Gary Stein | 0.3% | 612 | |
| Independent | Bayode Olabisi | 0.3% | 471 | |
| American Labor Party | Costantino Rozzo | 0.3% | 501 | |
| Democratic-Republican | Alexander Spano | 0.4% | 663 | |
| Total Votes | 177,148 | |||
| Source: New Jersey Division of Elections | ||||
State profile
- See also: New Jersey and New Jersey elections, 2020
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of July 3, 2020.
Presidential voting pattern
- New Jersey voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2019 elections, both U.S. senators from New Jersey were Democrats.
- 11 of New Jersey's 12 U.S. representatives were Democrats and one was a Republican. On December 19, 2019, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, then a Democrat, announced he was switching his party affiliation to Republican, changing the partisan makeup of New Jersey's House delegation to 10 Democrats and two Republicans.
State executives
- Democrats held four of New Jersey's 11 state executive offices. The other seven offices were nonpartisan.
- New Jersey's governor was Democrat Phil Murphy.
State legislature
- Democrats controlled the New Jersey State Senate with a 25-15 majority.
- Democrats controlled the New Jersey General Assembly with a 52-28 majority.
New Jersey Party Control: 1992-2025
Fourteen years of Democratic trifectas • Eight years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | S | S | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Assembly | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
|
|
| Demographic data for New Jersey | ||
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 8,935,421 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 7,354 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 68.3% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 13.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 19% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 88.6% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 36.8% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $72,093 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 12.7% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New Jersey. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
- New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (July 7 Republican primary)
- New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020
- United States House elections in New Jersey, 2020 (July 7 Democratic primaries)
- United States House elections in New Jersey, 2020 (July 7 Republican primaries)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2020
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2020
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ AP, "Trump celebrates Rep. Van Drew’s switch from Democrat to GOP," December 19, 2019
- ↑ The Press of Atlantic City, "Gov. Murphy endorses Amy Kennedy on eve of congressional debate," June 24, 2020
- ↑ NJ Spotlight, "Opinion: Why South Jersey Is the Place to Watch This Election Year," March 11, 2020
- ↑ NJ.com, "Why N.J.’s most powerful political leaders are at war — and what it means for you," May 12, 2019
- ↑ New Jersey Globe, "Sweeney, Six County Chairs, Endorse Brigid Harrison For Congress," December 18, 2020
- ↑ New Jersey Globe, "Kennedy wins Atlantic County line," March 8, 2020
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Press of Atlantic City, "Ocean Democratic convention avoids vote on 2nd Congressional District," March 29, 2020
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Federal Election Commission, "Independent expenditures," accessed July 3, 2020
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Federal Election Commission, "Receipts," accessed July 3, 2020
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednorcrossgmp - ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Politico, "In New Jersey, a Kennedy’s running against the Democratic machine," May 13, 2020
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2016, 2012, and 2008," accessed July 4, 2020
- ↑ NJ Spotlight, "NJ Primary Elections 2020: District 2," June 24, 2020
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Insider NJ, "Working Families Celebrates Amy Kennedy’s Win in NJ-2 Democratic Primary," July 7, 2020
- ↑ NJ.com, "Amy Kennedy’s win is no progressive surge in New Jersey | Moran," July 12, 2020
- ↑ Insider NJ, "Tom Moran Derides a Winning Political Reformer (Amy Kennedy) and Acts as an Apologist for a Losing Political Boss (George Norcross III)," July 14, 2020
- ↑ NJ.com, "Friendly Fire Saturday: Julie & Mike on the lessons of Kennedy v. Harrison," July 11, 2020
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Will Cunningham and Kate Gibbs are best choices for South Jersey primary voters | Endorsement," July 6, 2020
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 The Press of Atlantic City, "Gov. Murphy endorses Amy Kennedy on eve of congressional debate," accessed July 1, 2020
- ↑ New Jersey Globe, "Sheila Oliver Endorses Amy Kennedy," June 25, 2020
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Harrison's 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed July 3, 2020
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 New Jersey Globe, "Menendez endorses Brigid Harrison for Congress," February 27, 2020
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 New Jersey Globe, "House Majority Leader Hoyer backs Kennedy," June 30, 2020
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Cunningham's 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed July 3, 2020
- ↑ The Press of Atlantic City," "Kennedy endorsed by campaign finance reform group," May 12, 2020
- ↑ New Jersey Policy Perspective, "Toeing the Line: New Jersey Primary Ballots Enable Party Insiders to Pick Winners," June 29, 2020
- ↑ NJ Spotlight, "NJ Primary Elections 2020: Report Claims Ballot Design Hurts Candidates Who Aren’t Party Favorites," June 30, 2020
- ↑ New Jersey Globe, "Booker will run off the line with Harrison in Atlantic, Ocean," March 31, 2020
- ↑ New Jersey state website, "Official List," accessed July 4, 2020
- ↑ Salem County does not format its ballots with a county line
- ↑ On March 29, 2020, the Ocean County Democrats announced that no candidate would appear on the county line citing the coronavirus pandemic as impeding the voting process.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedatlanticcounty - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedacdc - ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Committee filings," accessed July 3, 2020
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedkennedynobop - ↑ ProPublica, "How Companies and Allies of One Powerful Democrat Got $1.1 Billion in Tax Breaks," May 1, 2019
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed September 27, 2024
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "Statutes & Rules § 19:23-45," accessed September 27, 2024
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ New Jersey Division of Elections, "Candidates for House of Representatives for Primary Election 6/7/2016," accessed April 5, 2016
- ↑ New Jersey Secretary of State, "Candidates for House of Representatives," accessed September 7, 2016
