New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026
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← 2024
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| New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 23, 2026 |
| Primary: June 2, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
6 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th New Jersey elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 |
All U.S. House districts, including the 2nd Congressional District of New Jersey, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is June 2, 2026. The filing deadline is March 23, 2026. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026 (June 2 Democratic primary)
- New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026 (June 2 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Tim Alexander, Bill Finn, Zack Mullock, Terri Reese, and Bayly Winder are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on June 2, 2026.
= 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
- Curtis Green (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Incumbent Jeff Van Drew is running in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Jeff Van Drew | ||
= 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. | ||||
Candidate profiles
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in New Jersey
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Van Drew | Republican Party | $1,171,795 | $751,294 | $1,182,931 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Tim Alexander | Democratic Party | $36,711 | $28,911 | $7,800 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Bill Finn | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Evan Grollman | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Zack Mullock | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Terri Reese | Democratic Party | $9,007 | $5,313 | $1,974 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Bayly Winder | Democratic Party | $451,845 | $220,383 | $231,462 | As of December 31, 2025 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. 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." |
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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.[1]
- 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.[2][3][4]
| Race ratings: New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 2/24/2026 | 2/17/2026 | 2/10/2026 | 2/3/2026 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in New Jersey in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in New Jersey, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| New Jersey | U.S. House | Ballot-qualified party | 5% of the entire vote cast for members of the General Assembly at the last preceding general election, held for the election of all of the members of the General Assembly, in the district | N/A | 3/23/2026 | Source |
| New Jersey | U.S. House | Unaffiliated | 5% of the entire vote cast for members of the General Assembly at the last preceding general election, held for the election of all of the members of the General Assembly, in the district | N/A | 6/2/2026 | Source |
District history
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.
General election
General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Incumbent Jeff Van Drew (R) defeated Joe Salerno (D) and Thomas Cannavo (G) in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeff Van Drew (R) | 58.1 | 215,946 |
| | Joe Salerno (D) | 41.2 | 153,117 | |
| | Thomas Cannavo (G) ![]() | 0.7 | 2,557 | |
| Total votes: 371,620 | ||||
= 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
Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Joe Salerno (D) defeated Tim Alexander (D), Carolyn Rush (D), and Rodney A. Dean Sr. (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joe Salerno | 38.3 | 14,057 |
| | Tim Alexander | 37.1 | 13,613 | |
| | Carolyn Rush | 21.3 | 7,836 | |
| | Rodney A. Dean Sr. ![]() | 3.4 | 1,235 | |
| Total votes: 36,741 | ||||
= 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
- Brandon Saffold (D)
Republican primary
Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Incumbent Jeff Van Drew (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeff Van Drew | 100.0 | 41,749 |
| Total votes: 41,749 | ||||
= 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. | ||||
General election
General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Incumbent Jeff Van Drew (R) defeated Tim Alexander (D), Michael Gallo (L), and Anthony Parisi Sanchez (Not for Sale) in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeff Van Drew (R) | 58.9 | 139,217 |
| | Tim Alexander (D) ![]() | 40.0 | 94,522 | |
| | Michael Gallo (L) ![]() | 0.8 | 1,825 | |
| | Anthony Parisi Sanchez (Not for Sale) | 0.4 | 920 | |
| Total votes: 236,484 | ||||
= 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
Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Tim Alexander (D) defeated Carolyn Rush (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tim Alexander ![]() | 61.7 | 17,199 |
| | Carolyn Rush ![]() | 38.3 | 10,667 | |
| Total votes: 27,866 | ||||
= 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
- Curtis Green (D)
- Hector Tavarez (D)
Republican primary
Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Incumbent Jeff Van Drew (R) defeated John Barker (R) and Sean Pignatelli (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeff Van Drew | 86.0 | 35,843 |
| | John Barker ![]() | 7.7 | 3,217 | |
| | Sean Pignatelli ![]() | 6.2 | 2,601 | |
| Total votes: 41,661 | ||||
= 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
- Scott Hitchner (R)
General election
General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Incumbent Jeff Van Drew (R) defeated Amy Kennedy (D), Jenna Harvey (Justice Mercy Humility Party), and Jesse Ehrnstrom (L) in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeff Van Drew (R) | 51.9 | 195,526 |
| | Amy Kennedy (D) | 46.2 | 173,849 | |
| | Jenna Harvey (Justice Mercy Humility Party) | 1.1 | 4,136 | |
| | Jesse Ehrnstrom (L) | 0.8 | 3,036 | |
| Total votes: 376,547 | ||||
= 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
Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Amy Kennedy (D) defeated Brigid Callahan Harrison (D), Will Cunningham (D), John Francis III (D), and Robert Turkavage (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on July 7, 2020.
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
Republican primary
Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2
Incumbent Jeff Van Drew (R) defeated Bob Patterson (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 2 on July 7, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jeff Van Drew | 82.4 | 45,226 |
| | Bob Patterson | 17.6 | 9,691 | |
| Total votes: 54,917 | ||||
= 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
- Brian Fitzherbert (R)
- David Richter (R)
District analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.
- District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
- Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
- State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

Partisan Voter Index
Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+5. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 5 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made New Jersey's 2nd the 184th most Republican district nationally.[5]
2020 presidential election results
The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.
| Kamala Harris | Donald Trump |
|---|---|
| 43.0% | 56.0% |
Presidential voting history
New Jersey presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 16 Democratic wins
- 16 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of New Jersey's congressional delegation as of January 2026.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from New Jersey | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 2 | 8 | 10 |
| Republican | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 12 | 14 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in New Jersey's top four state executive offices as of February 2026.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Secretary of State | |
| Attorney General |
State legislature
New Jersey State Senate
| Party | As of January 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 25 | |
| Republican Party | 15 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | |
New Jersey General Assembly
| Party | As of January 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 57 | |
| Republican Party | 23 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 80 | |
Trifecta control
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 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 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, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
