Van Drew will vote against impeachment, report says

Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-Dennis) said Wednesday night that he will vote against both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, according to a USA Today report.

“I don’t see anything there worthy of actually taking a president out of office,” Van Drew told USA Today, saying that Democrats are actually helping Trump by giving him the chance to say that he was found not guilty by the Senate.

His vote will almost certainly result in a serious primary challenge next year.

Last week, Atlantic County Chairman Michael Suleiman, who heads the party organization in the 2nd district’s largest county, told Van Drew that he might lose the county nominating convention if he fails to support impeachment.  The New Jersey Globe reported that Van Drew unsuccessfully sought a letter of endorsement from Democratic county chairmen.

Gov. Phil Murphy dodged a question today about supporting Van Drew’s re-election, saying only that he would support the Democratic nominee.

In July, Murphy said he would endorse the entire Democratic congressional delegation for re-election in 2020.

New Jersey Democratic State Chairman John Currie last week declined to endorse Van Drew.

There is also considerable speculation that Van Drew will switch parties and seek a second term as a Republican.

Some South Jersey Republicans have already said they don’t want him, although privately they acknowledge that he could win a GOP primary with Trump’s endorsement.

Democrats increasingly appear ready to let Van Drew go.  Several party leaders blame his vote against the impeachment inquiry as a big factor in the defeat of an incumbent state senator and two incumbent assemblymen in last month’s mid-term elections.

Brigid Callahan Harrison, a political science professor who lives in Atlantic County, has already emerged as a serious contender to challenge Van Drew for the nomination at a series of county Democratic conventions in March and in the June primary.

Harrison has acknowledged her interest in the race, but has not announced her candidacy.