We're not fully into the swing of Election Season just yet, but New Jersey is holding a special primary election today (Thursday) to replace former Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill, now the state's governor.
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For Democrats, the field is crowded, with 13 candidates vying for Sherrill's vacated seat. Sherrill won the seat in 2018, and it has been blue ever since. With the focus in the race on anti-ICE rhetoric, this is a competition to see who can out-progressive whom:
In the final days of the race, Malinowski, who represented the 7th Congressional District in Congress for two terms before voters ousted him in 2022, has been the target of millions of dollars in outside spending attacking him for voting “with Trump” to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (referencing an emergency appropriations bill in 2019 that received bipartisan support and included humanitarian aid and funding for federal agencies).
Gill has also targeted ICE, appearing with his wife, Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill, the first Colombian American to serve in the New Jersey Legislature, in ads saying Trump’s mass deportation push has their teen daughter terrified.
Way has touted her fight with the Trump administration over the state’s 2020 move to send mail-in ballots to all registered voters (Way, as secretary of state, oversaw elections). The Trump campaign sued New Jersey to stop the ballots from going out, but a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit before that year’s presidential race.
Mejia is positioning herself as the most progressive voice in the race, winning endorsements from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, among others. Mejia’s campaign touted a virtual event with Sanders on Monday touted as a “Stay Warm & Melt ICE” rally.
And whoever wins for the Democrats will be the heavy favorite in the April general election, where they will face Republican and former Randolph Township Mayor Joe Hathaway, the only candidate running for the GOP.
Polls close in New Jersey at 8:00 PM Eastern. We'll be watching them here at RedState, and you can, too. We'll bring you the live results right here thanks to our partnership with Decision Desk HQ, so be sure to check in — and participate in the comments below.
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