Gottheimer says he supports county line system

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff) said today that he firmly supports New Jersey’s county line, the unique system that allows county political parties to place their preferred candidates in a designated spot on primary ballots.

“It’s a democratic approach that I’ve long supported,” Gottheimer told the New Jersey Globe. “It gives rank and file Democrats at the local level a strong voice in selecting their best candidates who then make their case to the voters.”

It’s not exactly rare for a New Jersey politician to support the county line; after all, it’s the system under which nearly all of them repeatedly run and win. But Gottheimer’s comments go further than those of many other state Democrats, among them Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), who gave an equivocal answer earlier this week on the topic.

“I haven’t seen that legislation, but what we’ve been working on at the federal level is increasing voter access,” Sherrill said, referring to a state-level bill authored by State Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Lawrence) abolishing county lines.

During his first run for Congress in 2016, Gottheimer secured the line in the 5th congressional district’s four counties, which allowed him to win the Democratic primary uncontested and preserve his resources for his ultimately successful campaign against incumbent Rep. Scott Garrett (R-Wantage).

Gottheimer benefited from the line once again in 2020 when he faced a challenge from former Glen Rock Councilwoman Arati Kreibich, though Kreibich’s lack of funding and endorsements likely would have doomed her campaign regardless.

Now, Gottheimer is gearing up for a possible run for governor in 2025, potentially putting him on a collision course with Sherrill. If they do enter the gubernatorial race, both Gottheimer and Sherrill, as well as other Democratic candidates like Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, will have to tussle with one another to get as many county lines as possible – regardless of whether they support the line system themselves.