Rep. Donald Norcross (D-Camden) has won re-election in the 1st congressional district, the New Jersey Globe projects, defeating Republican Teddy Liddell after a campaign that drew little attention from either party.
As of 1:29 a.m., Norcross leads Liddell, an attorney and U.S. Army veteran, 58% to 40%; the 1st district, which is based in the city of Camden, is by far the most Democratic district in South Jersey.
Norcross, a former state senator, union leader, and the brother of South Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross, was first elected to Congress in 2014 following the resignation of longtime Rep. Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights). Norcross wasn’t seriously challenged in the primary or general election that year, nor has he been since.
This year was no exception; Liddell worked to tie Norcross to the state racketeering charges levied against his brothers, but in such a Democratic district and with few resources at his disposal, Liddell’s message didn’t go anywhere.
Back in 2022, with Democrats worried about the possibility of a colossal Republican wave, Norcross spent more than $3 million making sure he was secure against Republican challenger Claire Gustafson, and he won in a landslide. This cycle, he spent nowhere near as much, recognizing that Republicans had no shot of flipping the 1st district in a presidential year – and he was right, though his margin ended up being smaller than one might have expected.