Democrat Andy Kim won re-election in New Jersey’s 3rd district by twelve points in 2022, and Republicans have been unable to recruit a top-tier candidate for the open seat Kim is giving up to run for U.S. Senate.
Five candidates, all largely political newcomers, filed to seek the Monmouth County GOP organization line in advance of Friday’s deadline: Shirley Maia-Cusick, an immigration consultant who had first run for the U.S. Senate before moving from Hunterdon County to Burlington to seek a House seat; Greg Sobocinski, a GOP county committeeman from Southampton and self-described America First candidate; Rajesh Mohan, a Holmdel cardiologist who won 18% of the vote as an independent township committee candidate two years ago; Michael Faccone, a county committeeman from Freehold Township who serves on the local budget advisory committee; and Christopher Telofski, a small businessman from Manalapan.
Monmouth County made up 24% of the votes cast in the 2022 GOP primary for Congress; Burlington cast 62% of the votes, with 14% coming from Mercer.
Burlington, which has a screening committee awarding their organization line, still has time to come up with a different candidate.
Four Democrats are running for Kim’s seat: Assembly Majority Whip Carol Murphy (D-Mount Laurel); Assemblyman Herb Conaway, Jr. (D-Delran); civil rights lawyer Joe Cohn; and seafood company executive Sarah Schoengood.
Four of the nine Republicans who want to run for Bob Menendez’s U.S. Senate seat filed in Monmouth County: former News 12 New Jersey reporter Alex Zdan; Mendham Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner; real estate developer and hotelier Curtis Bashaw; and Albert Harshaw, a U.S. Navy veteran and former presidential candidate.
Getting on the Monmouth GOP convention ballot takes some work, with a certain number of signatures of county committee members required.
Another first-time candidate, wholesale food importer Scott Fegler, has no opposition at the Monmouth Republican convention for the chance to take on Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch) in the 6th district. Perennial candidate Gregg Mele, who switched from the U.S. Senate race to a run against Pallone last week, missed the Monmouth filing deadline.
This is Mele’s sixth campaign since 2018; he tried to run against Pallone in 2022 as a Republican but failed to get the 200 petition signatures he needed to get on the ballot. Mele was the Libertarian candidate for governor in 2021
Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Manchester) has no opposition for organization support in Monmouth or Ocean counties. He is seeking re-election to a 23rd term in Congress.
Monmouth County Commissioner Sue Kiley has no opposition for party support in her re-election bid.