New Jersey incumbents steamroll progressive challengers in primaries

Incumbent Democrats in New Jersey trounced progressive challengers across House primaries Tuesday, two weeks after liberals appeared likely to have scored key victories in still undecided races in neighboring New York. 

Lawmakers in all primaries were either leading their challengers by substantial margins or outright clinched the Democratic nomination in their races Tuesday night despite a surge in mailed-in ballots that will continue to be accepted until next week.

The easy wins marked a contrast to New York, where progressive Jamaal Bowman was leading Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, by 25 points in an election that is still to be called. Meanwhile, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D), chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, was running neck-and-neck with Democratic challenger Suraj Patel.

By contrast, no challenger got close in New Jersey.

Sen. Cory Booker (D), who dropped out of the presidential race last year, easily dispatched progressive activist Lawrence Hamm, holding a nearly 80-point lead with over 32 percent of precincts reporting.

Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D), the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee who had earned the ire of progressives over his refusal to embrace the Green New Deal, defeated Russ Cirincione, a government attorney, and Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, an author who runs MuslimGirl.com.

Meanwhile, Rep. Albio Sires (D), who raised eyebrows by going negative against his progressive challenger Hector Oseguera, won with 76 percent of the vote, while Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D) easily prevailed in the 12th District.

A couple of races remained uncalled as of midnight on Wednesday, though in both cases the incumbents had built substantial leads, with Rep. Bill Pascrell (D) leading by about 70 points and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D) leading by nearly 40 points.

The two Republicans in New Jersey’s House delegation also easily fended off their challengers.

Democrat-turned-Republican Rep. Jefferson Van Drew (R) easily won his primary and is set to face off against Amy Kennedy, a former teacher and wife of former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), who defeated university professor Brigid Callahan Harrison in one of the most contentious Democratic primaries.

And Rep. Chris Smith (R), who for a while was the only Republican in New Jersey’s House delegation until Van Drew’s party switch, won with 95 percent of the vote.