TEWKSBURY - Brian Varela says he sees some division among the four Dems seeking the party's CD-7 nomination.

"I feel we are starting to see a divide," he said, adding that it's similar to a "more establishment" candidate "versus grassroots, versus outsiders."

Varela likes that analysis.

"I'll tell you. I'm very proud of being an outsider. I've been an outsider all my life," he said.

Varela's story is one of growing up in financial uncertainty, raising his younger brother after the death of his mother and ultimately, starting a successful child care business.

He commented Saturday afternoon at an event in a private home in this upscale Hunterdon County community.

The remarks about a divide were interesting.

Besides Varela, the candidates are Rebecca Bennett, Michael Roth and Tina Shah.

Up to now, this has been a very genteel race, befitting perhaps the mostly affluent district in western Jersey.

Candidate mailings have been mostly positive and two debates last week produced no real sparks. Roth did say at one point that Bennett's housing strategy was inflationary, but that was it. She did not respond.

If there is an emerging divide with the June 2 primary a bit more than two weeks away, Varela wants to be on the progressive side of it.

He told about 40 people gathered in the home's backyard that he depended on federal Pell Grants to attend college and knows the importance of help from the government. To that end, he backs Medicare for All, but acknowledges it can't happen immediately.

One of the hosts for the event was Patricia Campos-Medina, a township resident, and a liberal activist.

Medina said Varela is a "non-establishment" candidate and that is a good thing.

Buoyed by some recent wins - think Analilia Mejia in nearby CD-11 - Medina said the progressive wing of the Democratic party is on the rise and that, "Brian is our candidate."

Varela was more restrained. He did say that the district, which has about a 20,000 Republican registration advantage, is nonetheless slowly moving in the Democrats' direction.

The primary winner presumably will challenge Tom Kean Jr., whose two month-plus absence from Congress has prompted rumors about his future. Kean said in a statement in late April that he would return "very soon."