Democratic field against Chris Smith expands and shifts

The Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 4th congressional district – which, absent an enormous upset, is likely a contest for who will go on to lose to Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) in November – has shifted and expanded in recent weeks.

One of the three Democrats who had launched campaigns in 2025, registered nurse Keith Doll, announced at the beginning of the year that he was dropping out of the race. “It has become clear to me that due to extenuating circumstances beyond my control, I cannot dedicate the time, emotional energy, financial requirements, or physical resources to the depths that a true campaign taking on an entrenched incumbent would entail,” Doll said in a Facebook post.

But filings with the Federal Election Commission and the Monmouth County Democratic Committee, which is set to hold its 2026 convention on February 7, reveal that several other Democrats are interested in running for the seat.

Monmouth Democrats’ filing deadline for candidates interested in seeking the party organization’s support was on December 26, and four candidates submitted their names for the 4th district endorsement: professor Julie Flynn and union electrician John Blake, who both entered the race last year, and newcomers Bob English and Rachel Peace.

English, an Eatontown resident, is best known for donning a chicken suit and protesting outside Smith’s office. In a Facebook post announcing his campaign, English said Smith has grown too “comfortable” in Washington and castigated the congressman for voting in favor of the Big Beautiful Bill, an enormous bill the GOP majority passed last year that cuts Medicaid funding, among many other things.

“Having participated in many rallies outside of Smith’s Middletown and Toms River offices, I have listened to the concerns that many residents of CD4 have,” English said. “These are not Red or Blue issues, but issues that most residents of the district find important. Chris Smith is on the wrong side of most of them and his silence is complicit!”

Peace has also made news for her protests against the Big Beautiful Bill. A small business owner, single mother, and sibling to a disabled sister, Peace has spoken at press conferences, written op-eds for local publications, and even made an appearance in a video from Senator Andy Kim to push for changes in Washington.

“If you’re a person in office, your ultimate goal should be to serve your community, be a servant leader,” Peace said in the Kim video. “I think it’s so critical to get more folks involved politically right now who are regular people – people right me who are just trying to get by.”

And yet another Democrat, Peter Linardakis, has filed fundraising paperwork to run for the seat as well, though his campaign declined to comment on the race pending his official launch.

Smith is tied for the longest-serving current member of the House; he beat a Democratic incumbent in the 4th district in 1980, and has consistently won re-election by large margins in the more than four decades since. The current incarnation of Smith’s 4th district covers deeply conservative parts of Ocean and Monmouth County, voting for Donald Trump by 30 points in 2024.

The groundswell of interest in taking on Smith despite the long odds of victory, then, could be another sign of Democratic enthusiasm ahead of the 2026 midterms. Republican candidate recruitment in New Jersey has also begun picking up steam this month, but there are still more New Jersey Democratic challengers interested in unseating GOP incumbents than vice versa, despite New Jersey having three times as many Democratic House members.

Monmouth Democrats will also make endorsements in the race for U.S. Senate, the 3rd district, and the 6th district at their convention; Senator Cory Booker, Rep. Herb Conaway (D-Delran), and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) will all be uncontested, even though Booker and Pallone both have declared primary challengers.