New Jersey’s county line, the unique system that groups candidates endorsed by county party organizations together in the same row or column on primary ballots, works best when the counties work in tandem with one another.
When county parties all agree to back a shared candidate, it creates a show of force that is almost impossible to beat. When they disagree, though, it can create bitter divides across county borders and put politicians whose constituencies straddle multiple counties in an awkward spot, because they have to run on the line with different running mates depending on the county.
That’s exactly what’s happening in this year’s primary for U.S. Senate between Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) and First Lady Tammy Murphy. Kim and Murphy have already each won one county line and are set to win several more, creating an awkward balancing act for potentially as many as four Democratic members of Congress running for re-election this year – three of whom have endorsed Murphy.
For one such congressman, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch), that predicament is not hypothetical. Pallone is a strong Murphy backer, but at the Democratic convention in Pallone’s home of Monmouth County, Kim beat Murphy 57%-39%, forcing Pallone to choose between bracketing with Kim or rejecting the Monmouth Democratic line in order to stick with Murphy.
Shortly after the convention results were announced, Pallone said he remains firmly supportive of Murphy, but that he has not yet determined what he’ll do about the Monmouth line, which he has run on every cycle in his four-decade career. Pallone’s campaign confirmed yesterday that he has not settled on a course of action.
“I haven’t made a decision about what to do,” Pallone said after the Monmouth convention. “We’ll wait and see what happens with it.”
(Pallone also represents a large chunk of Middlesex County, where he and Murphy are likely to be on the county line together.)
Rep. Donald Norcross (D-Camden), another Murphy endorser, could soon be put in a similar quandary. Norcross’s district is largely based in Camden and Gloucester Counties, which are Murphy territory, but he also represents Palmyra and Maple Shade, two towns from Kim’s home county of Burlington.
This Saturday, Burlington Democrats are set to hold their own convention, one which Kim is very likely to win (unless a last-minute deal comes together to give both Kim and Murphy the line). If Kim does indeed get the Burlington line, Norcross would have to spurn either Murphy or Burlington Democrats; Norcross’s campaign declined to comment on that possibility.
Unlike Pallone, Norcross also has a declared primary challenger, Tiff D’Amico, who could stand to benefit from the Senate fight (though she’d still be a heavy underdog).
And Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), who has joined most of her fellow Essex County Democrats in backing Murphy, might have to make the same decision if the highly competitive Morris County convention goes Kim’s way. A Sherrill spokesperson said that the congresswoman plans to run on the line in every county, perhaps setting her up to be bracketed with Kim in some areas and Murphy in others.
“Mikie is working hard to earn the continued support of her constituents, including members of her county parties, and will run on their lines,” spokesperson Sean Higgins said.
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) also represents a district that might see different Senate endorsements depending on the county, but that’s less of a problem for her, given that she isn’t backing anyone in the Senate race and has specifically said she likes all four candidates (Kim, Murphy, Larry Hamm, and Patricia Campos-Medina) who are running.
The same goes for Sue Altman, the presumptive Democratic nominee in the Republican-held 7th congressional district. The district includes Union County, where Murphy is likely to get the county line, as well as no fewer than five counties with competitive conventions where Kim could win party support.
Altman told the New Jersey Globe she doesn’t intend on making an endorsement in the Senate race – but even without one, the situation is a little strange for her. If Kim wins this weekend’s convention in Hunterdon County, for example, does Altman campaign with him there but with Murphy in Union County?
Finally, there are the multi-candidate Democratic primaries for 2nd district, a Republican-leaning seat held by Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), and the 3rd district, which Kim is leaving behind to run for Senate. It’s too early to say how the two districts’ Democratic fields will shake out, but both could also lead to some strange bedfellows if Kim and Murphy both win at least one county endorsement in each district.
Over on the Republican side of the aisle, the primary fight between Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner, developer Curtis Bashaw, and former News12 reporter Alex Zdan (among others) could cause similar problems for New Jersey’s three Republican congressmen. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) may be fortunate enough to run on the line with Serrano Glassner, whom he has endorsed, everywhere in his district, but Van Drew and Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) might not have a consistent Senate running mate county-by-county.
In most states, an endorsement is just that: an endorsement, expressing your preference in a race other than your own. If you don’t have a preference, or you’d rather not state it publicly, it’s easy enough to simply not endorse and focus on your own election instead.
New Jersey doesn’t give politicians that luxury. Because of the county line, the fates of the candidates for the state’s 12 congressional districts will be intertwined with the Senate race regardless of their own preferences. The line system is usually an asset for incumbent politicians – but this year, many of them may be wishing they didn’t have to deal with it.