November has arrived early in New Jersey’s 10th district.
Voters today elect the successor to the late Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark) and their choice will serve about three months until the swearing-in of the next Congress. Democratic nominee LaMonica McIver and Republican nominee Carmen Bucco will face each other again, for a full term, in November, but today they’re hitting the ground and trying to increase the sparse voter turnout.
“We’re just working hard to make sure that everyone knows that there’s an election today and they have to get out and vote one more time,” McIver said outside of her Newark campaign headquarters. “But things are looking good for as much as they can for a September election.”
McIver is widely expected to win the district, which hasn’t elected a Republican since 1946. The former Newark Council President said she believes the flurry of action around the November election has overshadowed Wednesday’s special election, and many voters weren’t aware of this week’s contest.
“My election for the special has definitely gotten drowned out by that noise,” she said.
Bucco, a tailor and nonprofit founder, said he spent most of Election Day at a fentanyl-focused task force in a Montclair church. The Republican, who greeted and thanked voters outside Brearly High School on Wednesday evening, partly blamed the low turnout on dissatisfaction with the political process and distrust in electoral methods like mail-in ballots.
“We’ve done a lot of outreach to remind people to vote,” Bucco said. “I think people are tired of the process.”
McIver and Bucco said they plan to visit more polling locations and gather with staff as polls close.
Regardless of tonight’s results, Bucco says he’ll be focused on the November rematch.
“God has given us a second chance.”