Democrats expand CD5 registration lead

Democrats expanded their registration lead in the fifth congressional district last month.

The district now has 7,766 more Democrats than Republicans, according to figures put out by the secretary of state.

Last month, they held a registration lead of 6,608.

Democrats added 2,261 voters to their rolls in February, and 1,103 new Republicans registered that month.

The new registration figures in the fifth exceed those of most other competitive districts, where, in many cases, fewer than 1,000 new voters registered for either party.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer is running for a third term in Congress this year. He faces a progressive primary challenger from Glen Rock Councilwoman Arati Kreibich.

Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali, former investment banker Frank Pallotta and former Cresskill councilman John McCann, who lost to Gottheimer in 2018, are seeking the Republican nod.

Democrats have more than doubled their registration lead since McCann’s defeat. When he lost, the district had 3,630 more Democrats than Republicans.