Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Delran) has established himself as the probable frontrunner in the race for Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown)’s congressional seat, winning the Burlington County Democratic line at today’s convention.
Conaway, a 26-year veteran of the legislature and the Assembly Health Committee chairman, outpaced three 3rd congressional district opponents: Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D-Mount Laurel), small businesswoman Sarah Schoengood, and civil rights attorney Joe Cohn. Vote totals – which, unusually, were not publicly released – put Conaway at 179 votes, Murphy at 52, Cohn at 15, and Schoengood at eight.
“I’m more than pleased with this result,” Conaway said. “It was a big victory, and it’s nice to win at home… I like my chances – onward and upward.”
Since Burlington County makes up 66% of the vote in 3rd district, the convention result is hugely influential, and will make it hard for any of Conaway’s opponents to beat him. Conaway also won the convention in Monmouth County two weeks ago, so he has the official party organizational line (a powerful institution in New Jersey politics) in around three-quarters of the district.
There had been some discussion before today’s convention of a potential deal that would allow both Murphy and Conaway to share the county line, though Schoengood and Cohn would have been shut out. But Conaway objected to that idea, and it never ended up coming to fruition.
On the same ballot, Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) – a native of Burlington County who has represented nearly all of it in Congress for the last five years – beat First Lady Tammy Murphy (no relation to Carol Murphy) for the party endorsement for U.S. Senate. That means Kim and Conaway are now set to be grouped on Burlington primary ballots together; it remains to be seen if Tammy Murphy will choose to bracket with an alternate 3rd district candidate.
Tammy Murphy said that’s not something she’s considered yet, but she didn’t sound too enthusiastic about the idea.
“The thought hasn’t even crossed my mind,” she said. “I think that the answer is no, but I haven’t thought about that, to be honest with you.”
Kim said that he doesn’t intend on making an endorsement in the 3rd district race. Conaway, for his part, confirmed that he is supporting Kim for Senate, something he had not publicly said before.
Kim has called for ending the county line, a call that was echoed today by Schoengood, who decried New Jersey’s political system in her speech before convention delegates.
“Standing here today, I can’t help but wonder what the founders would think of this primary process,” Schoengood said. “A process that is inherently unjust and creates a tiered system, where the voters are shut out of the process and the party bosses decide who gets their party’s nomination.”
Unexpectedly, Schoengood’s remarks were followed by a similar declaration from State Sen. Troy Singleton (D-Delran), who announced that he wants the county system to come to an end. He said that Burlington County wouldn’t unilaterally disarm, though, and today’s endorsement votes went ahead as planned.
Also winning at today’s convention were two uncontested incumbent candidates: Joe Biden for president and Rep. Donald Norcross (D-Camden) for the 1st congressional district, which includes two Burlington towns.