Insider NJ's 2026 Primary Day War Room
| candidate | votes | pct |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,534 | 51.4% |
|
|
6,168 | 48.6% |
HCDO Chair Guy congratulated the Hudson 'Unity Team' on their victories last night, saying 'We committed to doing the hard work required to make sure our organization best represents the ever-expanding voices and true conscience that represents ALL of our shared democratic values, and tonight is true validation of that commitment.'
Passaic County Democrats celebrated a decisive victory in the county commission primary, which saw incumbent Orlando Cruz and newcomer Nick Velicky win by a 2-1 margin over Ali Aljarrah and Ralph Feliciano.
Chairman John Currie also extended an olive branch to Aljarrah, Feliciano, and their supporters, inviting them to join Democrats across Passaic County in preparing for the challenges ahead. “Ali, Ralph, and their supporters care deeply about our communities and our Democratic values,” said Currie. “We may have disagreed during this primary, but we have far more in common than what separates us. The election is over, and the door is open. It is time to come home, come together as one Democratic family, and focus on the work ahead.”
Piscataway Progressive Democrats celebrated winning another council seat, and the first-ever ward seat.
CD7 Democratic nominee Bennett is playing to centrism as she looks towards the general election, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Wayne, Marnick won the Ward 5 Democratic council primary, according to TAPinto.
In Madison, Forte and Landrigan won the Democratic council primary, according to TAPinto.
In Merchantville, challenger Brady and incumbent Fitzgerald lead in the Democrattic council primary, according to NJ Pen.
In Oaklyn, challenger Gittle and incumbent Valianti won the Democratic council primary, according to NJ Pen.
In Colts Neck, Farrell and Sullican were victorious in the GOP primary, according to TAPinto.
In Holmdel, Vanderham and Mann won big in the GOP primary, according to TAPinto.
In Livingston, the Democratic primary is too close to call, according to TAPinto.
In Princeton, newcomer Rubina and incumbent Cohen lead in the Democratic council primary, according to TAPinto.
In Union, Frain won the Democratic committee primary, according to TAPinto.
In Roselle Park, Atkins and Cornejo won the Democratic council primary, according to TAPinto.
In Piscataway, incumbents and party-backed candidates prevailed mostly in the Democratic council primary, according to TAPinto.
In Lakewood, Fuentes and Ravitz won the GOP primary, according to NJ Globe.
In Elizabeth, a Bollwage ally defeated a rival's brother in the council primary, according to NJ Globe.
In Lumberton, LaPlaca lost the primary, according to NJ Globe.
Primary night offered a lot of intrigue, but few surprises, according to NJ Globe.
In a brief conversation after spending an inordinate amount of time shaking hands and posing for pictures, CD7 Democratic nominee Bennett stressed that her military background will help her appeal to independents in a district where Republicans hold roughly a 20,000 vote advantage.
In Plainfield, incumbents Graham and Wyatt declared victory in the Democratic council primary, according to TAPinto.
In Mendham Borough, the mayor won a close GOP primary, according to NJ Globe.
In Quinton, tha mayor lost the primary, according to NJ Globe.
In Brielle, Visceglia and Shaak prevailed in the GOP council primary, according to TAPinto.
In Bloomfield, incumbents Cruz and Gonzalez and newcomer Babula prevailed in the primary, according to TAPinto.
In Liberty, the GOP incumbents won the primary, according to NJ Globe.
In Jefferson, former Assemblyman Barranco got smoked by incumbent Mayor Wilhusen in the GOP primary, according to NJ Globe.
In New Brunswick, Mayor Cahill prevailed in the primary, according to TAPinto.
In Hopatcong, a GOP incumbent lost the primary, according to NJ Globe.
In Dover, Mayor Dodd's council candidates were defeated in the primary, according to NJ Globe.
In Hardystone, the GOP incumbents prevailed, according to NJ Globe.
In CD9, Pino appears on track to win the GOP nomination in a close race with Tiffany Burress to take on Rep. Pou in the general.
Mercer County Commissioner Cimino was ousted in the Democratic primary by Nakia White Barr, according to NJ Globe.
Retiring Rep. Watso Coleman congratulated Hamawy on his primary victory, which all but ensures his election as her successor in deep blue CD12.
In Prospect Park, Mayor Khairullah and his council slate defeated a challenge from Councilman Artis and his slate.
Democrat Eric Morey nears former GOP US Senate Candidate Curtis Bashaw's level of turnout in Cape May Commissioner primary, according to NJ.com.
In Hammonton, Pullion is behind in a four-way race for 3 council seats in the GOP primary, according to NJ.com.
In Edgewater, Vidal and Guttierez cruised to victory over Monroe in the Democratic council primary, according to NJ.com.
In Cranford, Gallo and Burke won the Democratic council primary, according to NJ Globe.
In Chatham Borough, Hull and Eck won the Democratic council primary, according to NJ Globe.
In Washington, Drake won an open GOP primary for a committee seat, according to NJ Globe.
Tabernacle Committeeman Justin Murphy won the GOP nomination to challenge Senator Booker in the general election; Booker ran unnopposed in the primary.
In CD11, Rep. Mejia crushed her opponents in the Democratic primary.
Deb Engel said her primary win for an Essex County Democratic at-large commission seat marks a 'change in the way Essex County runs'.
Marshall and Smith hold substantial lead over Doyle and Fiorella in Gloucester County's Franklin Township GOP Commitee primary, according to NJ.com.
With 88% of the vote counted, Rosie Pino maintains a slight edge over Tiffany Burress for the CD9 GOP nomination, according to the AP.
| candidate | votes | pct |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,499 | 51.5% |
|
|
6,117 | 48.5% |
In Rockleigh, Pontone has a major lead in tiny town's GOP mayoral primary, according to NorthJersey.com.
Justin Murphy appears on track to win the GOP Senate nomination.
In Tenafly, Corsair and Shah lead in a crowded Democratic council primary, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Bergenfield, Almonte and Pascual defeated Reynoso in the Democratic council primary, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Roselle Park, the Democratic mayoral primary has a razor-thin margin, according to TAPinto.
In Raritan, Armhizer won the Democratic mayoral primary, according to TAPinto.
In Readington, the GOP council primary is too close to call, according to TAPinto.
In Tuckerton, Dupuis defeated Marshall in the GOP primary for mayor, according to the Sandpaper.
In Ship Bottom, the incumbent mayor was defeated in the GOP primary, according to the Sandpaper.
In Palisades Park, Mayor Kim managed to fend off a primary challenge by a few hundred votes in the heated race, according to NorthJersey.com.
With 83% of the votes counted, Justin Murphy is still in the lead for the GOP Senate nomination, as per the AP.
| candidate | votes | pct |
|---|---|---|
|
|
76,528 | 32.8% |
|
|
68,996 | 29.6% |
|
|
62,767 | 26.9% |
|
|
24,741 | 10.6% |
Hudson County Registrar Dublin trounced a primary challenger, according to NJ.com.
In Gloucester County, Democrats saw a more than 2-1 advantage in primary turnout compared to Republicans, according to NJ.com.
Deb Engel beat out Livingston Mayor Klein for the Essex County Democratic nomination for at-large commissioner; McGrath, Yasin, and incumbent Richardson also prevailed, according to NJ Globe.
Ali Aljarrah conceded the Democratic primary for Passaic County commissioner to the PCDO-backed candidates, incumbent Commissioner Orlando Cruz and candidate Nick Veliky. Aljarrah garnered nearly 7,000 votes while Cruz received nearly 15,000 and Veliky nearly 14,000. An additional candidate, Ralph Feliciano, came in fourth with nearly 4,500 votes.
In CD9, with 71% of the vote counted, Rosie Pino leads Tiffany Burress 52.2% to 47.8%, according to NBC.
In Kearny's contested Democratic primary, 1st Ward Councilman Zapata and newcomer Bonilla win Democratic primary for Town Council on the independent “Team Kearny” slate. Also running on the slate, 2nd Ward Councilman Dennis Solano and 4th Ward Councilman Stathis Theodoropoulos came up short by 38 and 32 votes.
CD9 Rep. Pou thanked Democrats for re-nominating her.
CD7 Democratic nominee Rebecca Bennett has a message for the incumbent: "To our friend, Tom Kean Jr., we are coming for you. Tom Kean Jr., wherever you are, you have failed this district."
In Kearny, Team Kearny and the Doyle-backed slates are likely to win two seats each, according to Hudson County View.
In Hanover, Cahill and Mihalko are leading the challenger in the GOP primary, according to NJ Hills.
In Maplewood, De Luca and Sullivan won the Democratic primary for committee seats, according to Village Green.
In Lumberton, embattled Committeewoman LaPlaca is far behind in the early vote count as per the BurlCo elections office.
In Nutley, there was a pattern of strong support for Democrats in the uncontested primary, according to TAPinto.
In Upper, Mayor Corson easily won his primary, according to Cape May Herald.
The DNC congratulated Bennett on her primary victory in battleground CD7. The DNC congratulated Hamawy on his primary victory in CD12. In CD2, Atlantic County Dem Chair Suleiman congratulated Mullock on his primary victory, calling for Democrats to unite to take on Rep. Van Drew.
In CD9, Rosie Pino is leading Tiffany Burress for the GOP nomination with 52% of the vote counted.
In CD6, Rep. Pallone handily won the Democratic nomination, defeating two challengers, according to NJ Spotlight.
Conte won the Bergen County GOP nomination for surrogate in the contested primary, according to NJ Globe.
In CD11, Rep. Mejia won the Democratic primary, according to Morristown Green.
Tabernacle Committeeman Justin Murphy currently has a small lead (32%) over Richard Tabor (29.5%) and Alex Zdan (27.9%) for the GOP Senate nomination, with 63% of the vote currently in, according to the AP.
A win by Dr. Adam Hamawy in CD-12 mangled the fortunes of New Jersey's so-called Democratic Party establishment, who couldn't keep fractured pieces together under an onslaught into Central Jersey by progressive leaders captained by Bernie Sanders and AOC.
Valdez won a contested Democratic primary for Hudson County's 9th commission district seat, according to Hudson County View.
Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock has prevailed in the CD-2 Democratic Primary.
Rebecca Bennett delivered her victory speech after winning the CD7 Democratic nomination.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez gave a beat down to challenger Mussab Ali tonight in the Hudson County-based 8th Congressional District. With 70% of the vote tallied, Menendez received 21,735 votes (71%) to Ali's 9,006 votes (29.4%).
Ron Bautista declared victory for Hudson County Commissioner in District 5.
Salem County Commissioner Rasmey defeated a challenger, according to NJ Globe.
In CD3, McGuire won the GOP nod to challenge Rep. Conaway, according to NJ Globe.
The party-backed Camden County commission slate defeated progressive challengers in the Democratic primary, according to NJ Globe.
In CD4, Rachel Peace won the Democratic nomination to take on Rep. Smith, according to NJ Globe.
In Prospect Park, incumbent Mayor Khairullah leads in Vote-by-Mail and early voting by a 2-1 margin.
Cape May Mayor Mullock is leading in the CD2 Democratic primary, according to the Press of AC.
The Green Knoll Grill goes bananas for Bennett in CD7.
In Passaic County, the Passaic County Democratic Organization-backed candidates prevailed in the primary.
CD10 Rep. McIver declared victory in the primary.
CD2 Rep. Van Drew awaits the news of who his Democratic opponent will be in the general election, according to the Press of AC.
Gas prices, Trump, and the economy were on the minds of NJ primary voters in a low-turnout election, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
CD8 Congressman Menendez cruised to victory in the Democratic primary over challenger Mussab Ali by a 8-1 margin, according to Hudson County View.
A victory by Rebecca Bennett tonight in the CD-7 Democratic Primary quadrupled a sense of consternation among Republicans who tried hard through a PAC to prevent it from happening, while hoping Democrats would finish off the D's best shot to flip this battleground congressional district.
Eight incumbents and six challenges won uncontested congressional primaries, according to NJ Globe.
Rebecca Bennett is projected to win the CD7 Democratic primary, according to the Hill.
Voters in South Jersey are casting ballots, according to the BurlCo Times.
Rep. Kean says he's energized but appeared to push back the timeline for his return, according to Politico NJ.
Election Day in Bloomfield was marred by the harassment of Mayor Mundell at a polling place, according to TAPinto.
Weiner is running as an independent against Hudson Commissioner Aponte-Lipski, according to Hudson County View.
In Morris, Ravitz dropped his independent candidacy, according to Morristown Green.
A judge approved the cancellation of Bayonne runoff elections, according to NJ Globe.
A judge allowed CD12 primary candidate Matt Adams' son to vote after a registration snafu, according to NJ Globe.
It's Primary Day in New Jersey!
Stay tuned to Insider NJ's Primary Day War Room tonight for results and updates from around the state.
Polls are open until 8pm. Check your polling location here.
After considerable pre-election passion, county clerks said turnout appeared low in key areas of the state as of the early afternoon.
There are several key contested primaries in New Jersey on both the Democratic and Republican sides tonight. Take a look at Insider NJ's Primary Elections publication for a deep-dive into the biggest clashes of the cycle.
On the Senate side, Senator Booker is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for re-election. Four Republicans are vying for the nomination to challenge Booker in the general election: Alex Zdan, Richard Tabor, Dr. Robert Lebovics, and Justin Murphy.
In CD1, Rep. Norcross is running unopposed in the Democratic primary; Damon Galdo is running unopposed in the Republican primary.
In CD2, four Democratic candidates are vying for the nomination to take on incumbent Republican Rep. Van Drew. The Democratic candidates are Cape Mayor Mayor Zack Mullock, previous CD2 candidate Tim Alexander, Bayly Winder, and Terri Reese.
- Primary is intensifying as Democrats see a potential pick-up
- Candidates debated
In CD3, three Republicans are fighting for the nomination to challenge Democratic Rep. Conaway: Justin Barbera, Justin Cullen, and Michael McGuire.
In CD4, Rachel Peace and John Blake are running for the Democratic nomination to take on veteran Republican Rep. Chris Smith, who's running unnopposed.
In CD5, Rep. Gottheimer is running unopposed in the Democratic primary; Sean Kirrane is seeking the Republican nomination.
In CD7, four candidates emerged from an initially crowded field to battle for the nomination to take on Republican Rep. Kean in what will be a battleground district in November: Rebecca Bennett, Brian Varela, Michael Roth, and Dr. Tina Shah. President Trump endorsed Kean, who hasn't been seen in months, on Monday evening, writing on Truth Social that '"Tom Kean has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election."
- Bennett has emerged as the frontrunner to overcome an onslaught of negative ads
- Democrats scrambled for votes
- Bennett taking seriously the threat of negative ads
- Bennett staring down Shah amid a negative ads
- Kean calling county chairs amid health absence as he confirms he's running for re-election
- Polling shows Bennett leading in the Democratic primary
- Primary race takes nasty turn
- Bennett has emerged as the frontrunner, having raised $3M, outpacing the primary field and Rep. Kean.
- Bennett says GOP is 'terrified' of her going up against Rep. Kean because 'they know I'm going to kick his ass'
- Healthcare is Shah's cornerstone
- Bennett addressed past GOP ties
- Roth, Varela went head-to-head
In CD8, Rep. Menendez faces a challenge from former Jersey City BOE President Mussab Ali in what has become a contentious primary race. Republicans plan to back an independent candidate, with no one vying for the GOP nomination.
In CD9, two Republican primary candidates are battling for the nomination to take on Democratic Rep. Pou: attorney Tiffany Burress and Clifton Councilwoman Rosie Pino.
In CD10, Rep. McIver faces a first-time primary challenge from Lawrence Poster. Carmen Bucco is on the ballot in the Republican primary.
In CD11, Democratic Rep. Mejia faces three primary challengers: Donald Cresitello, Justin Strickland, and Joseph Lewis. Republican Joe Hathaway, who ran against Mejia in the April special election, is running for the Republican nomination.
In CD12, the Democratic primary race is the most crowded, and tangled, in the state, with over a dozen candidates vying to succeed retiring Rep. Watson Coleman in the deep Democratic district. Gregg Mele is the lone candidate running in the Republican primary.
- Former Senators Torricelli and Bradley endorsed Altman
- Faith leaders endorsed Servance
- Rep. Khanna joined Hamawy for a fireside chat
- Hamawy appears to lead the pack
- Commissioner Robinson launched a TV ad
- Altman protested the conditions at Delaney Hall
- Dr. Wang released a video on gerrymandering
- Former Senator Torricelli campaigned with Altman
- Servance pounded the pavement in North Brunswick
- Hamawy and his team hit the doors in Franklin
- Hamawy addressed 'blind sheikh' past association
- Wang discussed candidacy
- In the final stretch, the candidates debated
- Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson made her case
- Commissioner Robinson pointed to government service
- Mayor Cohen spurred young voters in Middlesex County
- Former Assemblywoman Jaffer endorsed Hamawy
- Mayor Mapp and Hamaway clashed
- Hamawy poll shows the candidate leading the pack
- Hamawy went door-to-door in Trenton
- Former Assemblyman Chivukula dives into district dynamics
