Altman raises more than $250k in first 12 hours of NJ-12 campaign

Sue Altman, who launched her bid for New Jersey’s 12th congressional district just over 12 hours ago, has already raised more than $250,000, her campaign said this evening.

Altman was previously the Democratic nominee in the extraordinarily expensive 2024 race for the neighboring 7th district, and spent the last year working as Senator Andy Kim’s state director – both roles that come with plenty of political connections. Now that she’s seeking the safely blue seat that retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) is departing, those connections are evidently paying off.

Altman’s fundraising total quickly puts her in the upper echelons of the many, many Democrats seeking to represent the 12th district. Army veteran and surgeon Adam Hamawy announced today that he’s raised nearly $350,000 since launching his campaign earlier this month, while East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen reported raising $279,000 as of December 31 (the end of the most recent fundraising period).

Most of the other candidates are lagging far behind, including some well-established local politicians with serious shots at winning the district’s Democratic primary; Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Trenton), and Somerset County Commissioner Shanel Robinson (D-Franklin) all reported raising less than $100,000 during the early months of the race.

A more complete financial picture in the race won’t be known for quite some time, however. The next fundraising reports won’t be due until April 15, just a month and a half before the June 2 primary and long after county convention season and the state’s March 23 filing deadline have passed.