Hunterdon County Democrats will hold their convention this coming Sunday, February 22nd, where they will back a candidate in the battleground CD-7 Primary.

Chairman Michael Drulis told InsiderNJ that the committee did not pre-screen candidates looking to win the primary in order to take on incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-7) in the November general election.

Five CD-7 candidates will participate in the convention at the Stangl factory:

Rebecca Bennett

Brian Varela

Michael Roth

Megan O'Rourke 

and

Tina Shah.

A sixth candidate who attended the organization's meet and greet forum earlier this month, Beth Adubato, did not indicate her preference to participate in the convention, Drulis said.

The chairman laid out how the process works.

The committee has a list of voting delegates, which includes elected officials, leaders, chairs and vice chairs.

If a candidate on the first ballot does not receive fifty percent of the vote, then it goes to a runoff between the two top vote getters.

The committee instantly tallies the results and subsequently declares a winner.

In addition to the CD-7 contest, Democrats in Hunterdon will size-up the candidates running in the - probably less dramatic - Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate.

Those contenders are:

incumbent U.S. Senator Cory Booker

Chris Fields

and

Lisa McCormick

Drulis said of the CD-7 contest specifically, "There's a lot of energy, more intense now than at the final candidates' forum. By the time we got out of the candidates' forum, people really started the discernment process. There's been a lot of activity - delegates talking to delegates. A lot of energy.

"People are enjoying the process, but it's serious," the chairman added. "All five candidates are coming in for the win. Their speeches will matter. You've got to get up in front of that crowd and convince people you are the candidate."