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New Jersey's 8th Congressional District election, 2026
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New Jersey's 8th Congressional District |
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General election |
Election details |
Filing deadline: Pending |
Primary: Pending 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 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 |
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 8th Congressional District of New Jersey, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.
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 general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 8
Incumbent Robert Menendez Jr. and Richard Barilla are running in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 8 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
![]() | Robert Menendez Jr. (D) | |
![]() | Richard Barilla (Independent) ![]() |
![]() | ||||
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. | ||||
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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.
Party: Independent
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I am an independent candidate running for the U.S. House of Representatives for New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District. As an Engineer and Teacher, I possess a unique combination of skills that enable me to approach problems from multiple perspectives. I have a penchant for comedy, theater, music, and entertainment and have even tried stand-up open mic events. My experiences in education, engineering, technology, healthcare, law, finance, operations, and humanities have equipped me with a broad understanding of the issues that affect New Jersey’s communities. My upbringing has been a journey of growth, and I believe that my entire life has led me to this moment, where I can make a positive impact as a representative of all people. As a bona-fide multi-cultural and bi-racial citizen, I have faced and endured the same daily struggles as the people I wish to represent. I am committed to using my diverse personal and professional experiences to inform my decision-making and ensure that every individual has an equal voice. I believe our leaders today should evermore instill guiding principles so that families, communities, schools, and other nations yearn to live to create, to share, to tap into our hearts and souls and succeed via human collaboration and warmth, not calculated competition. With bravery and intelligence at an all-time low, we must renew our education and governments to focus on truth, conscientiousness, and God-given rights as our collective objectives."
Voting information
- See also: Voting in New Jersey
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
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. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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Richard Barilla (Independent)
Community Health and Wellness - I passionately advocate for affordable and accessible healthcare. I believe that healthcare in the United States should be publicly free and universally equal in quality, with private companies serving only as non-profits to provide additional services. Profiting from health and human services should be ILLEGAL in the U.S.A. No one person should be able to attain a higher standard of care than another.
Technology and Innovation - I ferociously support digital literacy and access to technology and a Free Internet, while ensuring that advanced technologies adhere to strict ethical standards aligned with the Constitution and Bill of Rights, such as the right to privacy, security, and anonymity. I recognize the need for caution and oversight in areas like artificial intelligence, but believe that the adoption of automation will replace the laboriously mundane. This will bolster production capabilities and sustain economic growth with the creation of new unique businesses and opportunities, and individual ingenuity.

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)

Richard Barilla (Independent)
You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
Campaign finance
Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
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Robert Menendez Jr. | Democratic Party | $376,112 | $219,946 | $432,852 | As of June 30, 2025 |
Richard Barilla | Independent | $5,600 | $3,749 | $1,851 | As of June 30, 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." |
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 8th Congressional District election, 2026 | |||||||||
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Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
9/2/2025 | 8/26/2025 | 8/19/2025 | 8/12/2025 | ||||||
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | |||||
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
This section will contain information on ballot access related to this state's elections when it is available.
District history
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.
2024
See also: New Jersey's 8th Congressional District election, 2024
New Jersey's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (June 4 Democratic primary)
New Jersey's 8th Congressional District election, 2024 (June 4 Republican primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 8
Incumbent Robert Menendez Jr. defeated Anthony Valdes, Christian Robbins, Pablo Olivera, and Lea Sherman in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 8 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Robert Menendez Jr. (D) | 59.2 | 116,434 |
![]() | Anthony Valdes (R) ![]() | 34.6 | 68,152 | |
Christian Robbins (G) | 2.8 | 5,465 | ||
Pablo Olivera (Labour Party) | 2.2 | 4,295 | ||
Lea Sherman (Socialist Workers Party) | 1.2 | 2,419 |
Total votes: 196,765 | ||||
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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 8
Incumbent Robert Menendez Jr. defeated Ravinder Bhalla and Kyle Jasey in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 8 on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Robert Menendez Jr. | 52.0 | 22,465 |
![]() | Ravinder Bhalla | 37.5 | 16,218 | |
![]() | Kyle Jasey ![]() | 10.5 | 4,528 |
Total votes: 43,211 | ||||
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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. |
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 8
Anthony Valdes advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 8 on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Anthony Valdes ![]() | 100.0 | 4,905 |
Total votes: 4,905 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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
- Dario Duffe (R)
2022
General election
General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 8
The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 8 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Robert Menendez Jr. (D) ![]() | 72.9 | 70,837 |
Marcos Arroyo (R) | 24.2 | 23,540 | ||
Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers Party) | 0.9 | 894 | ||
Dan Delaney (L) | 0.7 | 687 | ||
![]() | David W. Cook (Other) ![]() | 0.7 | 647 | |
Pablo Olivera (Labour Party) | 0.4 | 361 | ||
John Salierno (Truth and Merit) | 0.2 | 226 |
Total votes: 97,192 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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 8
Robert Menendez Jr. defeated David Ocampo Grajales and Ane Roseborough-Eberhard in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 8 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Robert Menendez Jr. ![]() | 83.0 | 26,490 |
![]() | David Ocampo Grajales ![]() | 11.7 | 3,749 | |
![]() | Ane Roseborough-Eberhard ![]() | 5.2 | 1,668 |
Total votes: 31,907 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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
- Eugene Mazo (D)
- Ricardo Luis Rojas (D)
- Brian Varela (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 8
Marcos Arroyo defeated Ana Rivera in the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 8 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Marcos Arroyo | 100.0 | 3,127 | |
![]() | Ana Rivera (Write-in) ![]() | 0.0 | 0 |
Total votes: 3,127 | ||||
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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. |
2020
General election
General election for U.S. House New Jersey District 8
Incumbent Albio Sires defeated Jason Mushnick and Dan Delaney in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 8 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Albio Sires (D) | 74.0 | 176,758 |
![]() | Jason Mushnick (R) | 24.6 | 58,686 | |
Dan Delaney (L) ![]() | 1.4 | 3,329 |
Total votes: 238,773 | ||||
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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
- Kaylin Guzman (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 8
Incumbent Albio Sires defeated Hector Oseguera and Will Sheehan in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 8 on July 7, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Albio Sires | 70.3 | 47,814 |
![]() | Hector Oseguera ![]() | 27.3 | 18,557 | |
![]() | Will Sheehan ![]() | 2.4 | 1,612 |
Total votes: 67,983 | ||||
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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. |
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 8
Jason Mushnick advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House New Jersey District 8 on July 7, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Jason Mushnick | 100.0 | 5,899 |
Total votes: 5,899 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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
- David Winkler (R)
District analysis
This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.
See also
New Jersey | 2026 primaries | 2026 U.S. Congress elections |
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Voting in New Jersey New Jersey elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries |
U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access |
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