Newcomer Darryl Godfrey is putting over $100,000 behind a new cable TV ad for the July 16 Democratic special congressional primary in New Jersey’s 10th district, gambling that he use some of his early fundraising success to build his name recognition in an eleven-candidate race where no one is well known.
Godfrey is the first candidate to air television ads just as county clerks begin to mail roughly 30,000 vote-by-mail ballots for the primary. Military and overseas ballots were mailed on Saturday, and VBMs are supposed to go out tomorrow. Since this is the first free-standing special congressional election since 1950, there’s no past data to compare turnout – but mid-July in a district where that typically posts sluggish turnout numbers isn’t a sign of massive voter participation.
In “Democracy,” Godfrey says he will stand up to Donald Trump, create jobs, and protect women from Republican attacks.
Script: “(Voiceover) Donald Trump wants to destroy our democracy and take away our rights. Darrell Godfrey is the Democrat we can count on to stand up to Trump and fight for us. An economic development expert. Darrell Godfrey knows how to invest in our communities to create more jobs and opportunities for all of us. And Darrell will always stand up for reproductive freedom against extreme Republican attacks on women. (Godfrey) I’m Darrell Godfrey. I approve this message because it’s time to stand up to Trump and take back Congress.”
Godfrey began airing a digital video ad last week.
Godfrey serves in Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration as chief operating officer of the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority. He worked in economic development in Newark while Cory Booker was mayor.
“Donald Trump is a convicted felon, and for the good of the country he should drop out of the Presidential election — but we know he won’t do that, so it’s up to us all to stand up against his extreme agenda,” said Godfrey. “We’re launching this campaign to make sure that Democrats in Essex, Union and Hudson counties know that I will fight back tirelessly against the Trump agenda as their voice in Congress.”
Newark Council President LaMonica McIver, former East Orange Councilwoman and Andy Kim campaign staffer Brittany Claybrooks, Hudson County Commissioner Jerry Walker, Linden Mayor Derek Armstead, former Payne staffer Shana Melius, law professor and election law expert Eugene Mazo, John Flora, Alberta Gordon, Sheila Montague, and Debra Salters are also in the race to fill the remainder of Payne’s term.
The winner of the July special primary will compete in a September 18 special election to fill Payne’s unexpired term. Republican Carmen Bucco is unopposed.
Click here to see each the NJ Globe candidate questionnaire for each Democratic NJ-10 candidate: Brittany Claybrooks | John Flora | Darryl Godfrey | LaMonica McIver | Shana Melius | Sheila Montague | Jerry Walker