The political arm of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), a longstanding and formidable group of Black members of the U.S. House and Senate, announced today that it is supporting Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Delran) in his bid to become South Jersey’s first-ever Black congressman.
“Dr. Conaway has consistently given back to the community through his service in the Air Force Medical Corps, as a physician, and as an assemblyman,” Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-New York), the chairman of the CBC PAC, said in a statement. “If elected, he will become the first Black doctor with full voting rights in Congress. I’m proud to support his historic candidacy and look forward to working with him to get results for working families.”
Just four members of New Jersey’s Black community, which has been growing for decades and which now stands at 12% of the state, have been elected to Congress in the state’s history: Reps. Donald Payne Sr. (D-Newark), Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) and Senator Cory Booker. All have been from North or Central Jersey.
(It’s likely that a fifth name will be added to that list later this year, when the special election for the late Payne Jr.’s seat is held; most candidates running for his majority-Black seat are also Black.)
Conaway could soon join that small cohort of Black representatives if he wins next month’s Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), who is running for U.S. Senate. Four other Democrats are campaigning in the blue-leaning district: Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D-Mount Laurel), businesswoman Sarah Schoengood, civil rights attorney Joe Cohn, and teacher Brian Schkeeper, all of whom are white.
Conaway has the support of all three county Democratic parties in the 3rd congressional district, though with the absence of the county organizational line this year, that may not mean as much as it usually does. He also has endorsements from several other national groups besides the CBC, including VoteVets and the scientists’ group 314 Action, which have collectively spent nearly $400,000 on ads boosting his candidacy.