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New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District election, 2026 (June 2 Republican primary)

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← 2024
New Jersey's 3rd 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.
Voting in New Jersey

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District
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

A Republican Party primary takes place on June 2, 2026, in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District to determine which Republican candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
March 23, 2026
June 2, 2026
November 3, 2026



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.[1]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page focuses on New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list of candidates is unofficial. The filing deadline for this election has passed, and Ballotpedia is working to update this page with the official candidate list. This note will be removed once the official candidate list has been added.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 3

Justin Barbera (R), Jason Cullen (R), and Michael McGuire (R) are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 3 on June 2, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Justin Barbera
Justin Barbera
Image of Jason Cullen
Jason Cullen  Candidate Connection
Image of Michael McGuire
Michael McGuire  Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = 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

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Jason Cullen

Image of Jason Cullen

WebsiteFacebookX

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I’m Jason Cullen, a husband, father, and unapologetic outsider running for the United States Congress because I believe the American people deserve representation that truly reflects their values. I am not a career politician. I built my life in the private sector, where results matter, budgets must balance, and accountability is not optional. I understand what it takes to compete in an economy that often feels stacked against everyday Americans. That experience shaped my belief that Washington needs fewer professional politicians and more citizens willing to serve. I am running as an America First Republican because I believe in secure borders, a strong national defense, energy independence, fiscal responsibility, and protecting the constitutional rights that make this country exceptional. Government should work for the people, not the other way around, and representatives should answer to voters rather than party leadership or special interests. I am running to help restore integrity, courage, and common sense to Congress. The status quo is not working, and it is time to send someone to Washington who will fight for the people he represents."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Affordability is the defining issue facing families today. The cost of groceries, gas, housing, and healthcare has risen faster than wages, and hardworking Americans feel squeezed despite doing everything right. Reckless federal spending, burdensome regulations, and weak energy policies have driven inflation and increased everyday costs. I am running for the United States Congress to restore fiscal discipline, reduce red tape on small businesses, unleash American energy production, and advance pro-growth policies that lower prices and strengthen the economy.

Washington has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Trillion-dollar deficits and a $38 trillion national debt threaten our economic stability and the future our children will inherit. Career politicians in the United States Congress continue to pass bloated budgets without accountability. I support cutting wasteful spending, reforming the budget process, and making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent so families and small businesses can keep more of what they earn while we put the nation on a sustainable fiscal path.

Corruption and self-dealing in Washington have undermined public trust. Too many members of the United States Congress trade stocks, leverage insider access, and build personal wealth while voters struggle. I support banning congressional stock trading, strengthening ethics enforcement, increasing transparency in budgeting and earmarks, and limiting the influence of lobbyists. Public office is a position of trust, not a path to personal enrichment. It is time to restore integrity and ensure elected officials are accountable to the people.

Michael McGuire

Image of Michael McGuire

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I am running for Congress to put people first over politics and service over self-interest. New Jersey needs a fighter, whether it is safeguarding the middle class by reducing the cost of living, enhancing public safety so people feel safe in their homes, or holding government accountable. The people of New Jersey need a voice - a voice that speaks for them."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

New Jersey, with the highest tax burden per person, is ground zero of the affordability crisis. Working families are being squeezed from every direction—by the rising cost of housing, skyrocketing grocery bills, higher energy prices, unaffordable healthcare, and a never-ending tax burden. Working people are doing everything they were told to do: they work hard, play by the rules, and plan for the future—yet they’re still falling behind. That’s not a failure of families; it’s a failure of government policy. My top priority is restoring affordability and economic security for working families. That starts with cutting wasteful and ineffective government spending that fuels inflation and drives up costs for everyone.

Our country is broken because too many politicians have turned public service into a lifelong career rather than a temporary duty assignment. When elected office becomes a permanent job, priorities shift away from the people and toward self-preservation. The result is a system that protects itself instead of serving the public. Term limits are about restoring accountability and rebuilding trust between citizens and their government. We have term limits for the President; why not for Members of Congress? Public service should be just that: service.

A strong military equals a strong nation. Having served, I understand firsthand that military strength is not just measured by budgets or hardware, but by the preparedness and moral of the men and women who wear the uniform. Our national defense depends on funding readiness, rigorous training, and modernization so our forces are never sent into harm’s way without the equipment, support, and strategic advantage they deserve. At the same time, our responsibility does not end when the uniform comes off. Honoring our commitment to service members means delivering high-quality, accessible healthcare, including mental health services, for veterans and their families. It means fixing broken systems at the VA.

Voting information

See also: Voting in New Jersey

Election information in New Jersey: June 2, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: May 12, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by May 12, 2026
  • Online: May 12, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: June 1, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 26, 2026
  • Online: May 26, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: June 2, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by June 2, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

May 26, 2026 to May 31, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (ET)

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Justin Barbera Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Jason Cullen Republican Party $34,190 $22,856 $11,334 As of December 31, 2025
Michael McGuire Republican Party $0 $0 $0 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."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

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.

2023_01_03_nj_congressional_district_03.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's 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 D+5. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 5 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made New Jersey's 3rd the 160th most Democratic district nationally.[2]

2024 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.

2024 presidential results in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
53.0%45.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in New Jersey, 2024

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
See also: Party control of New Jersey state government

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.

State executive officials in New Jersey, February 2026
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorDemocratic Party Mikie Sherrill
Lieutenant GovernorDemocratic Party Dale Caldwell
Secretary of StateDemocratic Party Dale Caldwell
Attorney GeneralDemocratic Party Jennifer Davenport

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

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

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "N.J. Rev. Stat. § 19:23–45," accessed December 11, 2025
  2. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025


New Jersey's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Cory Booker (D)
Andrew Kim (D)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
Vacant
District 12
Democratic Party (10)
Republican Party (3)
Vacancies (1)


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